LASPO Review Focus Groups

LASPO Review Focus Groups

The Law Society of England and Wales are inviting legal aid solicitors to participate in one of a series of focus groups being held in August and early September; the focus groups will explore impacts of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) on solicitors’ firms, their working lives, clients, and the broader justice system.

The focus group research will provide evidence for the Law Society to submit to a post-implementation review of LASPO conducted by the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry are collecting evidence until the end of September.

The groups will be led by the Society's Head of Justice, Richard Miller, and will run throughout the country. The intention is to run two, one-hour, groups at each location relating to family and other civil work, and criminal work, respectively.

The table below shows all the proposed venues with dates and timings of the family/civil and criminal groups. The Society are seeking solicitors to participate in either a family/civil group or a criminal group, reflecting the area they work in most often.

If you are able to attend one of the groups, and have your voice added to the Society's submission to the Ministry of Justice, please contact the Society by 3 August 2018 at LASPOReviewFocusGroup@LawSociety.org.uk, specifying your chosen venue and specialism (family/civil or criminal).

Please note that places are limited, and that the aim is to achieve a representative mix of solicitors at each group to maximise the utility of insights collected.

Venues and dates for LASPO Review Focus Groups
Location Date Venue Family/civil group time Criminal group time
Liverpool 20 August Liverpool Law Society, 2nd Floor, Helix, Edmund Street, Liverpool L3 9NY 3.30-4.30pm 4.45-5.45pm
Portsmouth 21 August Biscoes Legal Services Ltd, 62-68 Kingston Cresecent, North End, Portsmouth, PO2 8AQ 4.00-5.00pm 5.15-6.15pm
Newcastle 22 August Ben Hoare Bell, 40 Shields Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1DR 4.00-5.00pm 5.15-6.15pm
Bristol 23 August Bristol Law Society, 12 Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 4ST 4.00-5.00pm 5.15-6.15pm
Nottingham 29 August TBC 4.00-5.00pm 5.15-6.15pm
Central London 30 August The Law Society of England & Wales, 113 Chancery Lane (Breams Room), WC2A 1PL 4.00-5.00pm 5.15-6.15pm
Norwich 3 September Hatch Brenner, 4 Theatre St, Norwich, NR2 1QY 4.00-5.00pm 5.15-6.15pm
Cardiff 5 September The Law Society of England & Wales, 5th Floor Capital Tower, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, CF10 3AG 4.00-5.00pm 5.15-6.15pm