This blog
hit two significant landmarks over the weekend. Firstly we reached 200 blog
posts since it was started just over a year ago. Secondly we also reached
50,000 hits – so that is about 250 reads per posting, on average.
From
looking back over the most popular topics it is clear that certain key topics
have dominated the year.
The one
with the most reads – with over 1000 reads was the tragic story of the young
mum whose bladder cancer was missed and who sadly passed away on Good Friday. This
highlighted the injustice, both of legal aid changes and also obsession in the
media and government with blaming victims for a mythical compensation culture. But most
of all this was real tragedy affecting a normal young family. However much lawyers
and politicians might argue about what is right and what is wrong, this is a sobering reminder there are
real people caught up in all of this.
The blog with
the second highest number of reads at just under 1000 will come as no surprise
at all. This was about the dismantling of justice for ordinary people. Back in
May 2012 it all seemed a long way away. Since then the picture has become even
worse then we all feared. Legal Aid has disappeared for whole areas of law. Advice
agencies are closing or making desperate cuts. The changes to CFAs have hit and
fees for PI Claims are to be decimated. We all did what we could to oppose all
of this but almost all arguments fell on stony ground. But this does not mean
that the fight is abandoned. This will continue to be a dominant theme in the
months and years ahead.
In a surprising
third place with over 700 reads is the posting about Eddie Stobart jumping on
the legal bandwagon! This is certainly a sign of things to come. With the
arrival of alternative Business Structures we are beginning to see competition
for traditional lawyers from well known brands. I have said time and time again
that we cannot ignore this development. Indeed, some competition from
experienced business is no bad thing and could lead to a better deal for
clients. But there are also concerns over quality especially with the well
known truckers potentially bidding for Criminal Legal aid work.
In fourth
place is the post about APIL’s unsuccessful application for Judicial Review of
the government’s cuts in relation to personal injury claims. I can still recall
the tension as we all followed twitter waiting for the disappointing if not
surprising outcome. This will always be a significant day for anyone doing this
type of work. It was the day the game changed. Since that day a number of firms
have already closed the door or decided to move away from this work. This is a
real shame for victims but I have no doubt that it is exactly what the
government and its friends in the insurance industry wanted.
In fifth
place, was a blog about the desperate situation for those training to be
lawyers. This was a response to the SRA’s abolition of the minimum salary for
Trainee solicitors. Some students talked of debts of just under £50,000 by the
time they had finished. Training contracts are like gold and many can also now
be given jobs on salaries as low as the minimum wage. This could well take us
back to the days when the law was indeed a career for the rich. My fear is that
best students will simply decide it is not for them and look for a career with
a more secure future.
So they
have been the dominant themes over the last year. I was originally only
planning to do this in the run up to LASPO. But the issues are just far too
important. So you are going to have to put up with plenty more over the next
year!
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