Tag Archives: legal aid green paper

Unsung Heroes

I used to refer students to the Mary Ward Legal Centre when I was President of the SU at Birkbeck College. They were invaluable and I know helped several of my students facing homelessness or debt problems (most student’s at Birkbeck are mature students, many with families). I’m glad to see they are still doing sterling work, as demonstrated by this piece in the Guardian describing the working life of a lawyer there. The picture painted of how dedicated and generally brilliant law centre staff are is pretty typical – I met energetic, weary, fantastic people like Gwyneth at Lambeth Law Centre when I was a law student too. It is very worrying to think that the kind of solutions made available by centres like this is going to become increasingly scarce as the cuts bite and reforms kick in.

[Postscript 11.08am] Along similar lines, important work also by DV charities – I see that in Devon and N Somerset where I work there are staggering and disastrous cuts proposed by the Local Authorities – 100% in Devon!

Justice For All Launch

Justice For All LogoIn a demonstration of inclusivity the Justice For All launch yesterday was rammed. There were queues snaking back into Westminster Hall and they had to run the presentations twice because they couldn’t fit everyone in the first time round. Baroness Scotland and Lord Bach attended along with Yvonne Fovargue MP (Chair APPG Legal Aid). Alan Beith (Chair of the Select Committee on Justice) and Sadiq Khan (Shadow Justice Minister Secretary) both spoke, Beith announcing an urgent review of the legal aid reform proposals and a call for evidence in February*. There appears to have been a certain pricking up of ears amongst Labour MPs in recent days. Although I haven’t happened upon anything in the press yet today there were some journalists present and taking interviews. There are a few new signatures on the EDM, but not nearly enough.

There were touching stories from clients of how frontline advice services had helped change lives – through debt advice and counselling or support to rehouse survivors of domestic violence or victims of antisocial behaviour and bullying. As noted by Sadiq Khan there is no point in having law if you don’t have access to it.

You can follow the progress of the Justice for All campaign on twitter @JusticeAll

[*Postscript – of course the inquiry into access to justice was announced some time ago, and written submissions are requested by 24 Jan but oral evidence is due to be heard in Feb. Sometimes there are too many things going on to be quite up to speed! Other minor corrections and additions made.]

Rights of Women Call for Survey Responses

Rights of Women

Right of Women

The Public Policy and Research organisation Rights of Women is conducting a series of surveys to try and find out more about the likely impact upon women of the proposed reforms to Legal Aid. As noted by the Legal Action Group Blog recently the impacts of the cuts will disproportionately hit already disadvantaged groups, including women.

There are three separate surveys, one for individual women, one for legal professionals and one for others working with women victims of domestic abuse. You can read the Rights of Women briefing paper on the reforms here and find a link to the surveys here (scroll down, left hand side). If you fit into one of these categories please fill in the survey – I have done mine and it took about ten mins. Particularly sought are responses from both male and female civil practitioners.

Please tweet / retweet.