Elderly care campaigner wins legal aid review

A campaigning solicitor who has spent her fighting for the elderly and disabled won a crucial victory yesterday in her battle for legal aid.

Yvonne Hossack has been working for her vulnerable clients for free since November when the Legal Services Commission (LSC) refused to renew her legal aid contracts due to errors in her applications.

Yesterday she said she was "absolutely delighted" when the Court of Appeal gave her leave for a judicial review into one of the applications.

Lord Justice Richards pointed out that 124 of the 125 applications had been rejected on the grounds that the applicant must have "at least a part-time presence in the area for which the bid was made".

However, in one application, for Northamptonshire, where Ms Hossack has an office, Wiltshire was listed in error. She may now apply for a judicial review because the contract had never been awarded to anyone else.

Ms Hossack is credited with saving more than 80 care homes from closure. But her methods have angered local councils.

In 2009 she was cleared of professional misconduct after Northamptonshire, Hull and Staffordshire councils attempted to have her struck off.