BOOK REVIEW
LEGAL AID HANDBOOK 2015/16
Edited by Vicky Ling and Simon Pugh
With Anthony Edwards
ISBN: 978 1 90840 758 0 (paperback)
978 1 90840 759 7 (ebook)
LEGAL ACTION GROUP
The access to justice charity
www.lag.org.uk
A PRACTICAL AND UP TO DATE EXPLANATION OF THE LEGAL AID REGIME -- A MUST-HAVE FOR LEGAL AID PRACTITIONERS
An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers
We have reviewed this excellent work from the Legal Action Group in the past and we are delighted to recommend this new ‘Legal Aid Handbook 2015/16’. We regard it as the most useful of all the publications on legal aid currently on the market.
The authors, Vicky Ling and Simon Pugh ably assisted by Anthony Edwards, say that if the past few years have been hard for legal aid practitioners, the next few will be even harder. As the old days of legal aid are now well and truly over, it is apparent as of now, that any limited return to any form of legal assistance will have to be merit-based, bearing in mind that public funding is involved.
The ramifications and need-to-know information and comment are all included in this book, which in line with the principles of the LAG, is written in a reassuringly plain-English style aimed at a wide range of readers, including the potential recipients of legal aid themselves.
This year Vicky Ling and Simon Pugh are joined by new contributors. Solange Valdez and Richard Charlton have written the chapters on conducting immigration and criminal cases with Steve Hynes adding his insightful comments on the policy scene.
Practitioners will certainly value the succinct chapter on ‘getting paid for criminal work’, as well as, of course, the chapter on ‘getting paid for civil and family work’. On this and a multitude of other matters, this handbook does save us a great deal of time trying to fathom how the current schemes operate. In this regard, the ‘read this before you start’ section under ‘Part A: Legal aid advice and litigation’ -- is particularly helpful by way of introduction and it offers a few words of caution about the complexities of undertaking publicly funded work.
The Handbook is supported by the regularly updated on the website “legalaidhandbook” dot com and you can also follow it on Twitter. As with all LAG publications, case studies, hints and checklists offer essential help for support staff and lawyers alike.
Within the book’s 520 or so pages, including appendices and step-by-step guides throughout, the practitioner is given a clear outline of the framework of current legal aid. All this, plus the extensive tables of cases, statutes and statutory instruments, as well as the table of European and international legislation make this an invaluable -- and invaluably time-saving -- title.
For legal aid practitioners across the full range of disciplines this is a must-have purchase.
Do visit the publisher's website for their latest editions and new titles.
