Post by nickd on Mar 18, 2012 12:23:58 GMT 1
Minister of Justice rolls out the injustice!
It’s not been widely publicised, but something big is happening in London’s magic legal circles this week. On Wednesday the 7th December , Her Majesty the Queen opens up a brand new space age legal centre costing the Ministry of Justice an undisclosed sum. On Wednesday the red carpet gets rolled out for the opening of the Rolls Building in Fetter Lane, London; - but at what price?
The Rolls Building
Here's a glimpse of what you can expect if you're lucky enough to ever get to visit this magnificent building...
Wow! It looks pretty impressive, the glossy brochure shows it in its full glory, mind you getting pictures is a bit difficult, it's a building somewhat shrouded in mystery. The brochure gives a good insight into what it's all about....
www.unlockingdisputes.com/assets/Unlocking-Disputes-Brochure-2011.pdf
The Ministry of Justice says it cannot find enough money to fund essential social welfare law legal aid. Watch these three compelling videos and then ask yourself if they really have to cut the justice bill by £350 million?
Rolls Building - a Virtual Tour
Lord McNally - 'Unlocking Disputes'
The City
It's no wonder the Ministry of Justice has cloaked this in a veil of secrecy, they know it would bring shame on their claims that cuts of £350 million in social welfare legal aid have to be made.
The Ministry of Justice would rather promote economic growth than justice
It's all part and parcel of the Ministry of Justice's 'plan for growth'. Let's take a look at it...
No, not just the front cover! I mean let's take a look at it what it says inside...
It identifies the law as one of Britain’s strengths….
"People turn to us because they know they will find world class, highly specialised practitioners and expert judges in the specialist courts. They understand that a decision from a court in the UK carries a global guarantee of impartiality, integrity and enforceability.
These strengths help to explain why the Legal Services sector generated £23.1 billion or 1.8% of the UK’s gross domestic product in 2009 and constituted £3.2 billion in exports – nearly three times more than a decade earlier.
Worldwide competition for legal services is set to intensify over the coming decade. New York, Stockholm, Paris, Geneva, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong all stand ready to compete with London and other UK jurisdictions as a hub of legal expertise. While the UK’s excellence and reputation is undoubted, costs and speed may affect where companies choose to resolve their disputes. We intend to do all we can to protect our competitiveness and build on our success.
Steps are to be taken as part of the Government’s Plan for Growth
the Ministry of Justice is committed to working closely with UK Trade & Investment and the sector to promote the UK as the global centre of legal arbitration and commercial law services.
As part of this we have a fine new Commercial Court building:
Dedicated, high-spec business court under one roof – the Rolls Building brings together the Chancery Division, Technology and Construction Court and Commercial Court under one roof, offering a streamlined service to businesses and maintaining the UK’s reputation as first choice for business law."
It all sounds very impressive, but what about justice for those who will never step foot in somewhere like the Rolls Building, what about those ordinary folk who just want a slice of good old fashioned justice;- often only accessible through a decreasing army of social welfare lawyers?
Read more of the Ministry's plans for growth and we'll deal with the concerns it doesn't seem to cover in the next post...
Link to the Plan for Growth...
www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/corporate-reports/MoJ/legal-services-action-plan.pdf
The project was started under the Labour Government and is seen by the coalition as a significant step in the right direction; - a step which will change the face of our British legal system for ever. Ken Clarke, Minister for Justice gives it his full approval as does a city full of high flying corporate city lawyers. They’ll earn millions if not billions out of it; - sadly it comes at a price. Ken Clarke sees relegating social welfare legal aid to the history books as a price worth paying; - it’ll also earn him some much needed credibility as his ministerial position comes under question by an increasing number of his fellows. Bookies are laying down odds that the 'old bruiser' will be the next front bench coalition minister to leave government, but Clarke is out to prove there's life in the old dog yet.
The Rolls Building was recently reported as being sold for £305 million pounds to Legal & General. An agreement for lease has been completed with the UK Government (Ministry of Justice) to pre-let approximately 185,000 sq ft on the lower floors of the building to be used as the UKs new flagship Commercial and Business Court. The remaining 75,000 sq ft office and storage space on the basement, lower ground, ground, sixth, seventh and eighth floors was let to global law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manages LLP immediately following shell & core completion in July 2010.
Many see it as perverse to press ahead with the venture when hundreds of law courts have been closed across England & Wales and the legal aid budget has been massively scaled back to remove vital help for the most vulnerable individuals in society.
Let's take a look at what's been rolled under the red carpet to pave the way for this new space age venture, we'll keep an eye on the Rolls Building and see what lies behind all the glass fronted splendour...
It’s not been widely publicised, but something big is happening in London’s magic legal circles this week. On Wednesday the 7th December , Her Majesty the Queen opens up a brand new space age legal centre costing the Ministry of Justice an undisclosed sum. On Wednesday the red carpet gets rolled out for the opening of the Rolls Building in Fetter Lane, London; - but at what price?
The Rolls Building
Here's a glimpse of what you can expect if you're lucky enough to ever get to visit this magnificent building...
Wow! It looks pretty impressive, the glossy brochure shows it in its full glory, mind you getting pictures is a bit difficult, it's a building somewhat shrouded in mystery. The brochure gives a good insight into what it's all about....
www.unlockingdisputes.com/assets/Unlocking-Disputes-Brochure-2011.pdf
The Ministry of Justice says it cannot find enough money to fund essential social welfare law legal aid. Watch these three compelling videos and then ask yourself if they really have to cut the justice bill by £350 million?
Rolls Building - a Virtual Tour
Lord McNally - 'Unlocking Disputes'
The City
It's no wonder the Ministry of Justice has cloaked this in a veil of secrecy, they know it would bring shame on their claims that cuts of £350 million in social welfare legal aid have to be made.
The Ministry of Justice would rather promote economic growth than justice
It's all part and parcel of the Ministry of Justice's 'plan for growth'. Let's take a look at it...
No, not just the front cover! I mean let's take a look at it what it says inside...
It identifies the law as one of Britain’s strengths….
"People turn to us because they know they will find world class, highly specialised practitioners and expert judges in the specialist courts. They understand that a decision from a court in the UK carries a global guarantee of impartiality, integrity and enforceability.
These strengths help to explain why the Legal Services sector generated £23.1 billion or 1.8% of the UK’s gross domestic product in 2009 and constituted £3.2 billion in exports – nearly three times more than a decade earlier.
Worldwide competition for legal services is set to intensify over the coming decade. New York, Stockholm, Paris, Geneva, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong all stand ready to compete with London and other UK jurisdictions as a hub of legal expertise. While the UK’s excellence and reputation is undoubted, costs and speed may affect where companies choose to resolve their disputes. We intend to do all we can to protect our competitiveness and build on our success.
Steps are to be taken as part of the Government’s Plan for Growth
the Ministry of Justice is committed to working closely with UK Trade & Investment and the sector to promote the UK as the global centre of legal arbitration and commercial law services.
As part of this we have a fine new Commercial Court building:
Dedicated, high-spec business court under one roof – the Rolls Building brings together the Chancery Division, Technology and Construction Court and Commercial Court under one roof, offering a streamlined service to businesses and maintaining the UK’s reputation as first choice for business law."
It all sounds very impressive, but what about justice for those who will never step foot in somewhere like the Rolls Building, what about those ordinary folk who just want a slice of good old fashioned justice;- often only accessible through a decreasing army of social welfare lawyers?
Read more of the Ministry's plans for growth and we'll deal with the concerns it doesn't seem to cover in the next post...
Link to the Plan for Growth...
www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/corporate-reports/MoJ/legal-services-action-plan.pdf
The project was started under the Labour Government and is seen by the coalition as a significant step in the right direction; - a step which will change the face of our British legal system for ever. Ken Clarke, Minister for Justice gives it his full approval as does a city full of high flying corporate city lawyers. They’ll earn millions if not billions out of it; - sadly it comes at a price. Ken Clarke sees relegating social welfare legal aid to the history books as a price worth paying; - it’ll also earn him some much needed credibility as his ministerial position comes under question by an increasing number of his fellows. Bookies are laying down odds that the 'old bruiser' will be the next front bench coalition minister to leave government, but Clarke is out to prove there's life in the old dog yet.
The Rolls Building was recently reported as being sold for £305 million pounds to Legal & General. An agreement for lease has been completed with the UK Government (Ministry of Justice) to pre-let approximately 185,000 sq ft on the lower floors of the building to be used as the UKs new flagship Commercial and Business Court. The remaining 75,000 sq ft office and storage space on the basement, lower ground, ground, sixth, seventh and eighth floors was let to global law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manages LLP immediately following shell & core completion in July 2010.
Many see it as perverse to press ahead with the venture when hundreds of law courts have been closed across England & Wales and the legal aid budget has been massively scaled back to remove vital help for the most vulnerable individuals in society.
Let's take a look at what's been rolled under the red carpet to pave the way for this new space age venture, we'll keep an eye on the Rolls Building and see what lies behind all the glass fronted splendour...