In brief: LAB U-turn on duty solicitor dismissal

The Legal Aid Board has reinstated solicitor Hilda Amoo Gottfried to the south London duty solicitor scheme shortly after she won leave for judicial review of the LAB London area committee's decision to deselect her. The LAB area and regional committees were overruled months ago by the LAB national committee which ordered her reinstatement and rejected their reasons for deselection. The area and regional committees had not obeyed the order, it is understood. Amoo-Gottfried is pursuing the judicial review and may consider legal action for damages. The LAB would not comment because proceedings are continuing. Reasons for attempted deselection were wholly unrelated to a successful negligence claim against her in 1993.