Spreading the largesseSome might suggest that there is nothing like the whiff of a general election to loosen government purse strings.This week, the best news comes on the pay front for family law specialist legal aid lawyers and other social welfare practitioners.

A 10% rise in rates, will go some way to redressing what has been a firm five-year pay freeze.And there is also welcome news at the courts, as the Lord Chancellor announced a cash injection of some 43 million for the civil courts and 94 million (including 32 million of money secured last year) to help them introduce new technology.Even the Solicitors Pro Bono Group (700,000) and child contact centres (500,000) have seen the fruits of Lord Irvine's largesse in the last week.While we are thankful for the richly deserved funding, it should be pointed out that the money has come after painstaking lobbying by senior figures within the legal profession.And it is also worth noting that the Lord Chancellor and the government need to do even more to meet their commitment of ensuring access to justice for all members of society.Most obviously, in the light of the pay boost for civil legal aid lawyers, ministers should turn their attention to the difficult situation faced by specialist criminal law practitioners.