An update on developments at Parliament and across Government from James Sandbach, Director of Policy and External Affairs, LawWorks.
It has been a busy time for our policy work - in addition to our work on the LASPO review, on SRA regulatory and training issues, and with the All Party Parliamentary Group APPG on Pro Bono and Public Legal Education, we have been engaging in a number of consultations on other issues that are relevant to pro bono and access to justice. Below is a roundup of some of the consultations we have responded to in the first half of 2018:
- The courts estate. As part of Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) modernisation programme, earlier this year HMTCS consulted about how they are using court buildings, including proposals for some further court closures. You can see our submission on the LawWorks website.
- Employment rights. Last year we engaged with the independent Taylor review on protection in the gig-economy, and this year the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, consulted on the review’s recommendations. LawWorks Taylor review response
- Civil society strategy. With policy on the charities sector and civil society having moved from the Cabinet Office to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, DCMS and the Office of Civil Society have been consulting on a new strategy for civil society and social action. LawWorks consultation response: Civil society strategy
- Wales Justice Commission. The Welsh Government have established a Commission to look at how the Justice system works in Wales in the context of devolution and the specific challenges that communities face. LawWorks submission to the Commission on Justice in Wales.
We are interested in hearing from pro bono stakeholders, members and practitioners on what other “live” areas of policy and law reform we should be engaging with, for example:
- Immigration (e.g. current issues relating to European nationals, the Windrush generation etc.)
- Welfare rights (e.g. Universal Credit roll-out, underpayment of disability benefits, appeals policy)
- Housing rights (tenancy reforms, safety regulations, social landlord obligations etc.)
- Community Care (e.g. carers rights, care packages, mental health advocacy)
If you are interested in discussing these, or other areas of policy please contact James Sandbach.