It is a fine excitement, election time. Because of the exigencies of a tough trial I missed most of it, but was found crouching in front of the telly at 5am demanding of it “But who are our masters now?†The suspense was killing me – but eventually fevered impatience was rewarded, and the quintennial rush to the Ministry of Justice website could begin. I'm surprised it didn't crash, with the sheer weight of lawyers anxious to know who their new line managers were and what life under them would be like.
Bold reforms to the way the LSC delivers its services are inevitable and overdue, says Richard Collins, who predicts the legal aid budget will be slashed by £0.5bn
Abolishing juries in defamation cases would not only keep costs down for both sides, but would also open up the verdicts to scrutiny, says William Bennett
The coalition government has put constitutional reform and the protection of civil liberties right at the heart of the parliamentary agenda. Seamus Burns explains the changes to come
A recent case brought against a health authority for failing in its duty to protect a vulnerable detained patient opens new possibilities for families who become victims of serious mistakes, says Saimo Chahal
The recent newspaper victory in a libel action brought by a tennis player has demonstrated the need for judges to take a stand against inappropriate defamation claims, says Rod Dadak
Family law reform featured high in the Conservative manifesto, along with tax reform, civil litigation costs and referral fees. Our regulars review the situation in the wake of the Lib/Con coalition
Boundary disputes between neighbours should be kept out of the courts – practitioners have a duty to warn clients of the potentially costly consequences and to strongly recommend mediation, warns Paul Denham
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