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Proceeding contribution from Lord Phillips of Sudbury (Liberal Democrat) in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 20 March 2012. It occurred during Debate on bill on Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

My Lords, I shall intervene briefly. I declare an interest in that a firm in which I was a partner had major arrangements with a number of trade unions. I say to the noble Lord who has just spoken that the unions and the firms who do their work will be able to adjust their arrangements. For a start, by not paying the referral fee, the solicitors doing the work will be able to drop their charges to take account of that fact, and the trade unions will be able to adjust their arrangements with their members, although it will not be a major adjustment. The point that the noble Lord reasonably made is capable of adjustment in a way that will enable the abolition of referral fees—which, in general, are extremely deleterious to justice—to be effected.

Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
736 c753 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Children Disclosure of information Criminal records Alcoholic drinks Bail Administration of justice Armed forces Crimes of violence Advertising Debt collection Women Hospitals Finance Fees and charges Homosexuality Electronic tagging Legal aid scheme Domestic abuse Drugs Fines Empty property Homelessness Knives Offenders NHS Parole Prisoners Political parties Misuse Offensive weapons Monitoring Life imprisonment Magistrates Marketing Prisoners' release Probation Prison sentences National Offender Management Service Metals Social security benefits Rehabilitation Sentencing Young people Trade unions Victims Theft Solicitors Squatting Ministry of Justice Suspended sentences Community orders Youth custody
Legislation
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2010-12
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk