Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Making Justice Work – Lawyers protest over Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill as legal profession fears end of it’s billion pound client rip-off ‘gravy train’

Law Society of ScotlandLawyers fearing hit on their incomes protest against court reforms. LET’S FACE IT, the current, “Victorian”, framework of Scotland’s courts & justice system is not about delivering access to justice to the people of Scotland. Rather, it is, in actuality, nothing more than a business model for the legal profession to charge exorbitant, prohibitive fees to clients, milk the taxpayer for hundreds of millions of pounds in legal aid payments, and rip off clients and get away with it, backed up by the solicitor’s safety net of lawyers continuing to regulate, and cover up for, their colleagues.

So, when the Scottish Government, proposes the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill of the Making Justice Work programme to clean up the pig-sty of justice system presided over by a Lord President who himself branded Scots justice as unfit for purpose, failing society and “Victorian”, it will come as little surprise to lean the legal profession, who’s income is derived from taking the role of a skulking predator lying in swamps waiting for their victims to come to them, is up in arms at the prospect of losing their chance to drain people of their wealth, at will.

The Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill if passed, will see all cases where thousands of cases involving damages of less than £150,000 are at stake, heard by new summary sheriffs instead of the antiquated Court of Session. The Scottish Government hopes the reformed process will be quicker and cheaper than the current justice model, which Audit Scotland has estimated is wasting £55 million a year – and many tens of millions more from clients who are faced with life draining fee demands from law firms who consistently fail their clients.

The proposals put forward by the Scottish Government, provide the legal framework for implementing the majority of recommendations of the Scottish Civil Courts Review, led by Lord Gill the former Lord Justice Clerk and now Lord President of the Court of Session, once known for his views on the sheer idiocy of Scotland’s Civil Justice system. The proposals also discuss a redistribution of business from the Court of Session to the sheriff courts, creating a new lower tier of judiciary in the sheriff court called the summary sheriffs with jurisdiction in certain civil cases and summary criminal cases. Other proposed measures include the creation of a new national sheriff appeal court and a new national specialist personal injury court.

Admittedly, the Scottish Government’s proposals could go further than Lord Gill’s in house rendition of the Scots public’s right to access to justice, however, what has already been proposed has sufficiently stirred the legal profession into thoughts of further massed protests outside the Scottish Parliament and more rumoured court strikes, if justice is made to work for Scots, rather than made to pay for lawyers.

Predictably, the Law Society of Scotland claims there will  be all sorts of dangers to the justice system, should our “Victorian”, perhaps even stone age courts system be reformed, warning in a Press Release that the Scottish Government proposals to radically overhaul Scotland's civil court structure could produce a deluge of work for Scotland's sheriff courts, causing significant delays for those who depend on local courts.

The Law Society also claimed the proposals contained in the draft Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, significantly increase the threshold for cases to be heard by the Court of Session. Currently, the Court of Session can hear all civil cases where the sum sued for is £5,000 or above. The draft Bill proposes changing the requirements, so only cases valued at over £150,000 can be raised in the Court of Session.

Kim Leslie, Convener of the Law Society of Scotland's Civil Justice Committee said: "If the proposals are implemented as currently drafted, a deluge of cases could hit Scotland's sheriff courts. "There is a risk that sheriff courts will be unable to cope with the volume of new work suddenly arriving at their door. We expect this to be made worse by the recent Scottish Government decision to support the closure of 20% of sheriff courts across Scotland. "If sheriff courts are unable to cope with the increased workload, there could be significant delays for court users."

The Law Society of Scotland's Civil Justice Committee claimed they carried out research in to the effects of raising the threshold to £150,000. The ‘research’, carried out by the Law Society itself (and to be taken with a pinch of salt) allegedly revealed that only 254 cases settled with a value in excess of this figure, which represented less than 2% of Court of Session business.

Ms Leslie added: "If the proposals are implemented as currently drafted, we could end up in the paradoxical situation of an almost completely deserted Court of Session, whilst court users in the sheriff courts suffer long delays as the courts struggle to cope with an increased workload. The Scottish Government is right to raise the threshold; however, we would prefer to see the limit set at no more than £50,000. This would allow cases with a lower value, but which still raise complex issues of matter of fact or law, to continue to be heard by the Court of Session."

The Law Society of Scotland’s full response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill can be found here HERE and it is clear throughout that Court closures and delays have been used to mask the Law Society’s fears its members may end up out of pocket and unable to rip off enough clients to survive another day.

A deserted Court of Session - Now that would be a bitter blow to the legions of Court of Session senators on nearly £200,000 a year who end up with pension pots of up to one million pounds, and are so trustworthy they dare not adhere to a register of interests for Scotland’s judiciary in case the public find out our courts system is little more than a closed shop, and in some cases, family run business bent on wielding unchecked influence over public life and inflating profits, salaries & perks for those within it, instead of providing Scots with a justice system fit for purpose.

The Faculty of Advocates joined the Law Society in objecting to the Scottish Government’s plans, claiming the reforms will create a system where those who can afford it receive the best legal representation, while those on legal aid will suffer – much like how the current system operates. The Faculty of Advocate’s response can be found online HERE

The FoA said in a statement: “The effect of these combined measures will, in the view of the faculty, fundamentally undermine both access to justice and equality of representation. Litigants choose to bring cases in the Court of Session notwithstanding that they could, as the law currently stands, bring them in the sheriff court. They do so because the Court of Session provides a better forum for resolution of their disputes. The proposal would in effect deprive individuals on low and moderate incomes and SMEs [small and medium sized businesses] with serious cases, of the right and ability to instruct an advocate. This aspect of the proposal would favour wealthy and corporate litigants, who can afford to instruct counsel, over ordinary people and would create inequality in the justice system.”

Above the howls of protestations of the legal profession, who are now rumoured to be planning court disruption and massed protests outside the Scottish Parliament when the bill is to be voted on, the Scottish Government has made it clear the reforms and court closures are necessary to save money and streamline the system, and will not overburden the remaining courts.

A spokesman said: “The Scottish Government accepted the Scottish Court Service’s proposals to change the structure of our courts. Their proposals are now being scrutinised by parliament.The fragmented, outdated court system we inherited, where many smaller courts are not fit for purpose and are underused, is no longer sustainable.”

MAKING JUSTICE WORK – WHAT IS IT ?

The Making Justice Work programme brings together a range of reforms to the structure and processes of the courts, access to justice and tribunals and administrative justice.  It has been developed and is being delivered with partners across the justice system, including the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Court Service, Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Police.

As one of the justice outcomes change programmes* , Making Justice Work (MJW) contributes to the delivery of National Outcome 16, 'Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people's needs'. The programme contains five overarching projects, which cover both civil and criminal justice:

MJW Project 1: Delivering efficient and effective court structures - To create a cost effective, proportionate court structure in which cases and appeals are heard by the right court in both civil and criminal cases, reserving the use of the highest courts for the most serious and complex cases.

MJW Project 2: Improving procedures and case management - To improve the procedures of the justice system and to introduce active and effective management of cases, in order to minimise delays and adjournments to ensure the most cost effective use of precious court time.

MJW Project 3: Enabling access to justice - To develop mechanisms which will support and empower citizens to avoid or resolve informally disputes and problems wherever possible, and to ensure they have access to appropriate and proportionate advice, and to a full range of methods of dispute resolution, including courts and tribunals where necessary, and appropriate alternatives.

MJW Project 4: Co-ordinating IT and Management Information - To provide the strategic platform for the development of IT, data management and management information to ensure all justice organisations have access to the data and information that they need, with efficient administrative processes supported by appropriate technology.

MJW Project 5: Establishing a Scottish Tribunals Service - To establish an efficient and effective Scottish Tribunals Service by merging the administration of devolved tribunals and through the devolution of reserved tribunals to Scotland.

All five MJW projects are now up and running. You may have come across some of those that are being lead by partners across the justice system - for example: getting people to court; and the new summary system model.

National Outcome 16 can be achieved by delivery of benefits across the justice system. A benefits framework is being used to evaluate and track progress across the whole programme, to provide clarity to project managers as to where their own projects fit in, and identify gaps where we may need to initiate new work.

The Scottish Government are taking a co-ordinated system wide approach, integrating policy development (eg response to Civil Courts Review & Sheriff & Jury) with short term projects to save money, working with justice operational delivery partners and identifying, considering and tracking the delivery of benefits across the system

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is to prevent Advocates appearing in the Sheriff Court, nothing as far as I am aware.

But of course the real reason the faculty is against this development is because it might require them to leave the rarefied air of Edinburgh and its incestuous deal broking behind closed doors.

Heaven forbid that the Scottish Public had the opportunity to pursue a case in a location convenient to the client!

Anonymous said...

Love your opening para - hits the nail right on the head!

Anonymous said...

Lawyers never protest against anything unless it involves a drop in money going to them (example those creeps with posters we had to pass through outside Holyrood) so this comes as no surprise they will be outside screaming their hairless heads off once more.

Anonymous said...

Agree to all of it but the Law Society will be nailing their preferred msps into making amendments to stop most of this helping anyone on the street and also the lawyers who will be advising on all these reforms will be reporting home to Drumsheugh Gardens so the profession are always one step ahead of the reformers.

Anyway its good to see someone writing the truth about the legal system rather than all the usual praise be to the almighty stuff we see in lawyer sponsored stories on the news.

Anonymous said...

Anyone going to see a lawyer now must be a lunatic and just asking to be ripped off!

Anonymous said...

Yes indeed they protest what a surprise. If they had protested about Penman being let of the hook they would have prevented the digging of a hole of their own making.

Lawyers people are sick of you all as a collective money extorting racket without a complaints system to protect your endless list of victims robbed at pen-point. Yes it is a great business model but like Capitalism there are winners and losers and it is time for you to be the latter. "Lawyers Protest" only when their interests are at stake, what a repugnant selfish blind faction you all are.

Anonymous said...

How can any part of that civil court review be trusted in view of Lord Gill's stance on the parliament stuff about the register of interests?

I think they are all in it for themselves and its about time people avoided using lawyers then crying about it later after getting the inevitable rip off!

Anonymous said...

Honestly I doubt the justice system in Scotland will ever be reformed as long as it is headed and controlled by a legal and judicial dictatorship.You can all laugh at my comment if you like but the fact is nothing moves in the justice system unless it suits the face or whim of the judges and certain firms of lawyers and of course the Law Society.You only need to look back on decades of cases and misery caused to people to see it for yourselves.

Anonymous said...

Another window-dressing, management-speak, mumbo-jumbo lot of clap-trap for the masses to try to pull the wool over their eyes to make them think that change is underway when in fact it is the same Status Quo as usual dressed up in a new suit?

Breathtaking in the naked cheek of it all?

Anonymous said...

As usual the whole point is spectacularly missed when they remain deliberately obtuse about the real cancer infected patient?

The solution is simple.

Run the court system as a business not a playground for the inept, lazy and crooked?

Get rid of the institutionally corrupt law society of Scotland and their dastardly and insidious influence in favour of the crooked and against the innocent?

Force the standard and expertise of Scottish lawyers to rise sharply.

Execute a massive correction of Scottish lawyers pay scales so that a maximum hourly rate of £50 per hour reserved for the most expert and skilful lawyer?

Ensure that the gravy-train practise of indeterminate court hearings for no other reason other than to charge another inflated fee is stopped?

Anonymous said...

Difficult to reform the courts when the judges and lawyers will mostly be against this - due to the fact both benefit from the other and have a foot in each other's camp.

Keep up the good work telling us all about it as it should be told!

Anonymous said...

The Law Society of Scotland's view : It is irrevocably broken, so why fix it?

Anonymous said...

Hmm yes I noticed a few stories in the papers with a very pro-lawyer air about them over these court reforms and all the twits from the Law Society arguing access to justice - what a joke - what they really mean is access to a client's wallet and take as much as they can bleed them for before dropping them in it!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Honestly I doubt the justice system in Scotland will ever be reformed as long as it is headed and controlled by a legal and judicial dictatorship.You can all laugh at my comment if you like but the fact is nothing moves in the justice system unless it suits the face or whim of the judges and certain firms of lawyers and of course the Law Society.You only need to look back on decades of cases and misery caused to people to see it for yourselves.

29 May 2013 22:10
--------------------------------

Nobody could laugh at such a true statement.

Unless they are the hyena-like crooked Scottish lawyers who scavenge and prey on their victim clients and consume everything including their bones?

Anonymous said...

Is this not the perfect time to start a natural cull of these soul stealers by simply setting a basic competence test for them to have to pass to retain their practising certificate every year?

This streamlining tool alone would surely rid Scotland of around 7000 Scottish solicitors?

Thereby, this would lead to more clients from the remaining client pool, which would increase the number of clients for them at a vastly reduced fee scale and would thus allow them to earn a very high salary by putting in an honest day's work by working hard for each client?

This should be adopted forthwith?

Anonymous said...

All they care about is money. If they cared about their clients as much as money they would have excellent reputations.

Anonymous said...

It would now be a fact that the whole of the adult population of Scotland will have been involved with a corrupt solicitor or at least know someone who has suffered at the hands of some branch of the legal system and read about in some form of the media, and also how complaints have been handled by politicians and even the police. How can it be possible to recruit a jury who have not had their mind tainted by all the aforementioned. Sitting on a jury with the knowledge that the Judge and/or Sheriff, and the solicitors have committed crimes "and got away with it" far more serious than the person in the dock, The whole set-up is now a complete shambles and we all know who to blame .

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
What is to prevent Advocates appearing in the Sheriff Court, nothing as far as I am aware.

But of course the real reason the faculty is against this development is because it might require them to leave the rarefied air of Edinburgh and its incestuous deal broking behind closed doors.

Heaven forbid that the Scottish Public had the opportunity to pursue a case in a location convenient to the client!

29 May 2013 16:20
£££££££££££££££££££££

Of course, this presupposes that the tentacles of the Law Society of Scotland and other Judges & Sheriffs do not have control and influence over what happens in a lower court?

Of course they do?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
How can any part of that civil court review be trusted in view of Lord Gill's stance on the parliament stuff about the register of interests?

I think they are all in it for themselves and its about time people avoided using lawyers then crying about it later after getting the inevitable rip off!

29 May 2013 20:51
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The corruption at the Law Society of Scotland, their Agents and the judiciary is a busted flush?

The whole of Scotland now knows they are hunters and collectors of souls and have no interest in the rule of law?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
It would now be a fact that the whole of the adult population of Scotland will have been involved with a corrupt solicitor or at least know someone who has suffered at the hands of some branch of the legal system and read about in some form of the media, and also how complaints have been handled by politicians and even the police. How can it be possible to recruit a jury who have not had their mind tainted by all the aforementioned. Sitting on a jury with the knowledge that the Judge and/or Sheriff, and the solicitors have committed crimes "and got away with it" far more serious than the person in the dock, The whole set-up is now a complete shambles and we all know who to blame .

31 May 2013 12:50
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too true!

This is the inevitable consequence of allowing these crooked individuals and organisations to be allowed to continue their criminal conduct against the people of Scotland?

Then they use this fact (that there is zero trust in any Scottish lawyer and the Judiciary) to prevent telling the Scottish Public the truth about their crooked ways?

They call it 'not in the public interest' for the Scottish Public to be told the truth?

We are being fast-tracked into being a rogue State for crooks, pedophiles and spivs?