Report comment

"Justice minister Lucy Frazer listed several steps the ministry is taking to help bereaved relatives, including revising the information given to families on coronial processes..."

So, updating some leaflets?

"... relaxing the means test ... "

A positive step, but they will still apply the exceptional funding test. That is the main issue. The recently updated guidance makes it clear that even Art 2 inquests are not guaranteed to pass that test.

"... and simplifying the exceptional case funding forms."

Again, that doesn't really address the issue of how difficult it is to satisfy the exceptional funding requirements though, does it? To be fair, the clue is in the name - and they mean it when they say funding will only be given exceptionally.

"Government departments might be asked whether they need the number of lawyers they instruct."

Oh, they *might* be asked, might they? How reassuring! Being slightly less sarcastic, the MOJ already considered this in the recent review and decided there was nothing that could be done to "de-lawyer" things on the public body side of things.

Even if other departments are asked, it seems unlikely in the extreme that those departments will say they don't need lawyers, particularly when the MOJ has already concluded that they do.