Post by Patrick Torsney on Aug 5, 2006 13:35:15 GMT
Thank you for taking an interest in ilegal.org.uk
We believe it is vitally important that everyone, in every organisation that may be affected and whatever their role, gets involved in the current consultations on the proposed changes to the Legal Aid system. The proposals will have a significant impact on organisations delivering publicly funded legal advice services, on individuals working within those organisations and ultimately, on the clients who may need to access those services. There are already mechanisms for doing this: by responding to the consultations yourself and, by feeding back to your advice network who will undoubtedly, and importantly, respond on your behalf at a national level
This forum is not intended in any way to replace these more traditional mechanisms but to compliment them by helping raise the general awareness of what any proposed changes might mean and how organisations might prepare and adapt. Please make sure then that everyone in your organisation who has an interest in publicly funded legal advice registers and has their say
ilegal aims to:
raise awareness of what some of the key proposals are likely to involve
encourage the current debate in an open and sensible manner
inform the current consultation process and the stakeholders involved
provide summary style information on some of the key issues
consider the next steps and move forward
complement other sources of help and support
ilegal will allow people to express their views openly and allow those views to be opposed openly. It will develop over time through all our participation - please let your colleagues know about what we are doing and encourage them to participate too
Whoever you are, and whichever stakeholder group you are involved in or represent, we hope that you are able to contribute to ilegal, share your views and ideas, and have your say on the future of Legal Aid
Post by Patrick Torsney on Nov 21, 2010 12:54:03 GMT
It's now over 4 years (where's the time gone!) since I wrote the above introduction to ilegal. Although ilegal was created solely in response to the proposed Carter reforms, the challenges did not stop there and it has been one thing or another since then, including the most recent debacle in the shape of the 2010 Civil Bid Rounds. Ironically, we never had time to stop, so we’ve just kept on going. If you're curious about what's gone before, then the archive section is probably the best place to start
Now before us we have probably, for want of a better phrase, the 'mother of all challenges': the Government proposals to reform legal aid, as outlined in Parliament on the 15th November. So, I guess we will have to navigate this one too and this message is to let you know that
I have never edited the text of my original message above apart from to change the name of the forum when we went to 'ilegal' some years back. The text of the message, to me at least, still pretty much stands for what the purpose of ilegal is, and no doubt should be, in the times ahead. As it is, I didn't really know what I was creating when I originally opened ilegal's virtual doors to everyone for the first time. I just wanted to do something about what was happening and, being a little concerned with the levels of institutionalisation of the various 'pressure groups' and the career climbers within them, I wanted to do it in the open where everyone, specifically the people doing the work, could join in and truly have their say
Quite a few people thought I was crazy (and still do, no doubt) for doing it but, at least I am now fortunate enough to have a dedicated team of people (you'll know them as the 'ilegal team') putting a considerable amount of effort into helping me run and steer ilegal (and at least I don't have to be crazy alone anymore, which has to be a good thing!)
As to what ilegal really is? Well, I think it is much more than just a purpose; it’s also an environment, which changes adapts and reflects the needs of the people who use it so that they can better serve their clients: you
At least that’s what I think; you might think differently and, if you do, that’s absolutely fine by me
This is ilegal after all: think different (or 'differently' as Colin would have me say it)
On occasion, we are asked to define ilegal and explain what we do. However, we know that ilegal is many things to many people and we quite like that. So, to help understand ilegal, here are some of the things ilegal is not:
Affiliated
to any government department, network or organisation
For us
ilegal is for you, and for anyone else interested in social welfare law
Secret
we are very much out in the open and anyone, including your boss, the LSC and MoJ can and do read ilegal. Let’s hope they join in
Funded
ilegal is free - take anything that you find useful. No one pays us. If you like what we do and want to help us continue then get in touch
Fearful
legal aid people who speak for others must also speak up for themselves, out in the open, not hiding behind closed doors. We do
Abusive
say what you like, but be thoughtful and professional and don’t use ilegal to advertise your own services or to plagiarise the work of others
Insured
if you get into difficulty by posting, all we can give is solidarity
there is no ‘policy department’ and we do not have particular ‘lines’ on anything. Where something is for the public good and is manifestly common sense, then we’re likely to say it, do it and promote it
A legal publisher
information is used at your own risk; please do your own checks on accuracy and currency
A campaign
if you want to save legal aid, join one or start one. See you there
Conventional
if we think the rules are wrong, we are not afraid to break them or to create new ones as the need demands
Stale
ilegal is a breath of cool fresh air in a legal advice sector landscape controlled largely by the institutionalised and the inactive
Static
ilegal is revolutionary and evolutionary. We will continue to set our own agenda and do refreshingly new and interesting things as we grow. Join us
irobot
people working in legal aid do so in extremely difficult professional environments. They promote the rights of those who would otherwise not be able to access the law. They strengthen society and do it because they know it is the right thing to do. They are truly remarkable individuals, real people, changing the lives of those they serve each and every day. They are ilegal, not irobot
