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Cuts to Legal Aid - a Threat to Justice

15/06/2011

Rahel has been following a live blog of the debate in the Lords about the cuts to legal aid. The Law Commission, the body which looks after the interests of the legal profession in England and Wales, claims that only the poorest of the poor will now have

Some points that were made on the blog include that the planned cuts of £350 million will mean there will be:
250,000 fewer cases involving family disputes
140,000 fewer welfare benefits cases
110,000 fewer debt cases
50,000 fewer serious housing cases, and
30,000 fewer employment cases funded through legal aid

Many disabled people will be seriously affected by this removal of access to justice. People pursuing injury claims also face significant losses:

"Not only is the government proposing to withdraw injury claims from the scope of legal aid but it also proposes to make people pay up to 25% of their damages towards their own solicitor's costs. This conflicts with a principle of English law introduced back in 1275 that the person who commits the wrong should pay for the costs of the case."

Nobody in the Lords defended what the government is doing, including those on the government benches. Only one speaker was in favour of the reforms and even he was struggling to endorse all of the reforms.

You can make your voice heard by joining the sound off for Justice Campaign at www.soundoffforjustice.org. Click on the link for a template letter that you can send to Ken Clarke! Just fill in your name and address at the top, sign your name at the end, and post to Ken Clarkes address on the letter.

Maybe there is a glimmer of hope that this Bill will be defeated in the Commons?