What is legal aid?
The government's proposed cuts to Legal Aid will take a number of key areas out of scope. Those needing help in cases of medical negligence, divorce, employment and welfare will no longer have access to justice.
These people will effectively be silenced, as their cases will go unheard without the support of a legal aid lawyer.
Sound Off For Justice aims to give the public the voice to say no to these damaging proposals that will deprive deserving people in tough situation of the right fight their case.
Employment
There are all kinds of bosses. A good one can enrich your working life. A bad one can make it thankless. But whatever the case may be, you need your job.
It's always a hammer blow to lose a job. And it's a sickener if you end up out of work without good reason.
It happens to thousands of people in the UK every year. Often it is a corporate or financial necessity but sometimes it's due personal politics. This is what is unfair and shouldn't be allowed.
You need to talk to her about it, but you can't get through to her. She won't hear of you having more time with your kids.
When unfairly dismissed people often take their former employer to court with the support of Legal Aid.
However, if the government cuts happen, there'll be nothing you can do about unfair dismissal at work, as Legal Aid will have been completely removed in cases of employment.
So if you can't afford a solicitor, you can't take your employers to court. You've got no chance of any recompense.
It's bad enough being unjustly sacked by your boss. Now you're being dismissed by your Government.
Divorce Cases
Getting divorced is hard enough. But when children are involved, it gets really tough.
If you're a father trying to get more access to your children, for example, it's not only logistically complex, it's an emotional minefield.
Suddenly, that twice a month agreement you made with your ex-wife is not quite happening. She's busy. The kids are busy. Her new partner is taking them all away for the weekend.
You need to talk to her about it, but you can't get through to her. She won't hear of you having more time with your kids.
The trouble is, if the government cuts happen, there'll be no-one else to talk to either. Because there'll be no legal aid for family matters like divorce, custody and access.
The government will have taken away your voice.
They'll be the authoritarian parent. And you the 'speak-only-when-spoken-to' child.
Legal Aid was established to protect the public from wrongdoing by the government, businesses, institutions or anyone else.
It seeks to protect the rights of the most vulnerable members of society.
Everyone should be entitled to access to justice no matter who they are, where they live or how much they earn.
