Sound Off For Justice respond to Prime Minister’s speech on Legal Aid cuts

June 21st, 2011
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Today, the Prime Minister David Cameron said this about the government’s green paper and proposals to cut legal aid support for an estimated 725,000 vulnerable Britons:

‘What’s the point of publishing a green paper or white paper if you don’t listen to what people say?’

What Sound Off For Justice say is:

If only the Prime Minister, Ken Clarke, and the government would listen to groups such as Shelter, Netmums and the Women’s Institute and all the people who want to save civil legal aid. Sound Off For Justice has offered a way to make his policy much better, by protecting civil legal aid at the same time as saving more money than the proposed cuts, but the PM has not listened. The policy is in tatters but they still want to rush this through parliament – why don’t they stop?’

Please see below for links to news stories about our concerns about how Britons will suffer if the government’s planned legal aid cuts go through.

  • Gemma Foy

    So wrong

  • Eleanor Stevens

    My partner is denied access to his 4 yr old daughter through his ex girlfriend, she won’t attend mediation and things are very bad for him, he hasn’t seen his daughter for 7 months now. He went to a private solicitor but had to stop as he couldn’t afford to pay him. He was successful with Legal Aid and he is now in the process of taking her to Court for a Contact Order. Without Legal Aid he would never see his child and be able to forge a father/daughter relationship, in the years ahead, that would create heaps of personal damage to both my partner and his daughter, not to mention the financial strain of trying to pay for a private solicitor, which is simply impossible. Without Legal Aid, any sort of relationship he is hoping to have with his daughter will deminish. For that reason, these cuts are immorale, I wonder how David Cameron and Ken Clarke sleep at night? I guarentee you it’s more soundly than the worry my partner has to carry around with him.

  • Ged Hale Solicitor

    As a criminal defence lawyer for almost 30 years I think I am qualified to comment on the effect of the proposed changes in this area of law.

    Savings on the police front line will inevtably lead to an increase in crime as the recession bites harder more “white collar” crime will arise as redundancies soar. (assuming there are enough police available to detect cases and CPS to make a charging decision)

    There will be an increase in the prison poulation pushing to 100,000 as unrepresented defendants at the police station find themselves charged , wheras prompt legal advice can frequently prevent this.

    There will be a return to inordinate delays in the listing of Crown Court Trials as un repsesented defendants frustrate judges across the country with their not guilty pleas and the need for advice and guidance from judges throughout their cases.

    Many defendants will opt to plead guilty rather than incurr the expense time and trouble to be represented adding to a burden on the prison and probation service already hamstrung themselves with cuts.

    An experienced defence solicitor can save the taxpayer many times his legal aid income by saving £50,000 per prisoner year of reduced sentences during any given accounting period , a fact which does not appear to have been taken into account in the headlong rush to rmove lawyers from the justice system.

    The £250,000 limit on legal aid income will simply lead to experienced entreprenerial lawyers working part time , moving to the private sector or more likely devising schemes to circumvent the limit.

    Hope these views are helpful, Ged Hale Solicitor Advocate, Call HALE for BAIL , Doncaster & Scunthorpe

  • dw

    It is a sad day for UK justice.
    The impact of the cuts to the legal aid budget are going to affect those most vulnerable in society : women with a family who have to bring private action against bad employers, violent expartners/stepmothers or neighbors not dealt with by police…
    People like AH who caused over £2000 of property damage and was never prosecuted by Suffolk Police. Failure to punish violent men is unacceptable.Women have a right to compensation through the courts, if necessary.

    Union worker – Education/Law

  • Georgina Peacock

    at the very start of the government’s response to the Consultation it says – ‘ the majority of responses did not support the government’s proposals for reform’. What possible reason is there for pushing ahead with reforms which in real terms will cost the country more when people with an understanding of the current system have suggested better savings. If ever there was a policy screaming U-turn this is it.

  • John Atkins

    Just to add to Ged’s comments, those 100,000 in prison are likely to stay there as they also slash and burn specialist prison law and as people get stuck in the system because of that. Every prisoner stuck inside because of mistakes in progression, and failed Parole Board applications, costs an average of £35-£45,000 per annum. Do the sums, David, as they say. And that not to mention the cost of new prisons as they close the old ones as a way of saving money.

  • lesley mack

    there must be another way.. our justice system is supposed to be the best in the world…. !!!!

  • Anonymous

    Testing