Research

Research on legal services issues.

April 2007 Access to advice denied: Young people failed by civil justice system

In April 2007, Youth Access launched two pieces research that indicated that investment in targeted legal advice would be cost-effective in reducing exclusion.

Highlights from the research: Youth_Access_Research.doc
Young People’s Social Welfare Needs and the Impact of Good Advice: Report of seminar for senior policy makers. : Young_Peoples_Social_Welfare_Needs_and_the_Impact_of_Good_Advice_February_2007.pdf
Young People’s Social Welfare Needs and the Impact of Good Advice: Issues Paper. An independent report by consultant, Yve Schelhaas.  The report includes a section on Streetwise Community Law Centre.  The report confirms that “specialist young people services take longer, but achieve much better outcomes for young people e.g. 62% of Streetwise’s housing & homelessness cases achieve ‘housed, re-housed or retained home’ compared to 31% of all NfP housing cases for 17-24s”: Young_Peoples_Social_Welfare_Needs_and_the_Impact_of_Good_Advice_Issues_Paper_2007.doc
Collated evidence on young people;s preferred modes of access to advice:
Collated_evidence_on_young_peoples_preferred_modes_of_access_to_advice.doc

Also see ‘Young People and Civil Justice’ an LSRC report below (February 2007)


April 2007 Human Rights Act - Changing Lives

Seven years on from the introduction of the Human Rights Act, a new report from the British Institute of Human Rights challenges the perception that the law is being used solely by criminals or celebrities.

The Human Rights Act - Changing Lives shows how people from different backgrounds are using human rights arguments to challenge shoddy treatment from public services without having to go to court.
BIHR_Human_Rights_Changing_Lives_April_2007.pdf

The report was written by Sonya Sceats, Policy and Research, BIHR


March 2007 A Helping Hand - the Impact of Debt Advice

Research conducted by the Legal Services Research Centre and published in March 2007. A_Helping_Hand_-_The_Impact_of_Debt_Advice_LSRC_March_2007.pdf


March 2007 Putting Money Advice Where the Need is

Research conducted by the Legal Services Research Centre and published in March 2007. Putting_Money_Advice_Where_the_Need_is_LSRC_March_2007.pdf


February 2007 Young People and Civil Justice

Findings from the 2004 English and Welsh Civil and Social Justice Survey.  Research conducted by Youth Access and the Legal Services Research Centre. LSCR_Research.pdf


November 2006 Otterburn Research

Study by Otterburn Legal Consulting. The LSC has published the Otterburn report in November 2006 which described the impact on the supplier base of reductions in criminal fees from April 2007. Desmond Hudson, Law Society chief executive, said:

“This report mirrors the concerns raised by the Law Society over many months. The government must not take the cavalier approach of simply brushing this report under the carpet – a report that shows their reforms will cause serious damage to an already fragile legal aid system. They are driving what’s left of legal aid into a downward spiral that may eventually see the demise of publicly-funded legal representation across England and Wales.”

A copy is here Otterburn_Research_Report_Nov_2006.pdf


November 2006 A Trouble Shared - Legal Problems Clusters

Report on research carried out by Richard Moorhead and Margaret Robinson at Cardiff Law School and Matrix Research and Consultancy for the Department for Constitutional Affairs in 2006.

Report Introduction, chapters one to four: A_Trouble_Shared_part_1pdf.pdf

Report Chapters five and six with appendices and tables A_Trouble_Shared_part_2.pdf

DCA Research Series 8/06


March 2006 Causes of Action: Civil Law and Social Justice Second Edition

Second Edition incorporating findings from the 2004 English and Welsh Civil and Social Justice Survey by Pascoe Pleasence with Nigel Balmer and Alexy Buck.  Summary

A copy can be ordered via Legal Services Research Centre


March 2006 Getting earlier, better advice to vulnerable people

Report by the Department for Constitutional Affairs March 2006.  The DCA estimate that disputes cost the economy over £3.5 billion per year.  Getting_earlier,_better_advice_to_vulnerable_people_DCA_2006.pdf


March 2006 Estimating the size and nature of the civil legal advice sector

Research carried out by Matrix Research and Consultancy for the DCA Estimating_the_size_and_nature_of_the_civil_legal_advice_sector.pdf

DCA Research Series 4/06