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<\/a><\/div>\nHome<\/a> > News<\/a><\/p>\n Law Society publishes LASPO review subsmission<\/p>\n Public access to the justice system has never been so restricted, the Law Society has warned as it filed\u00a0 its submission to government, highlighting the “devastating consequences” of cuts to publicly funded legal advice.<\/p>\n In its response<\/strong> <\/a><\/strong>to the Ministry of Justice’s review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), the Law Society spelled out the disproportionate cost of the legislation to taxpayers and the seriously damaging effect of limiting access to justice for ordinary and vulnerable people.<\/p>\n Recently gathered first-hand accounts from solicitors reveal the increasingly challenging task of delivering basic legal advice to clients facing homelessness or even domestic abuse.<\/p>\n Law Society president Christina Blacklaws said:<\/p>\n “If British justice still exists it is only for the wealthy, or the small number on very low incomes lucky enough to find a solicitor willing and able to fight a mountain of red tape to secure legal aid. <\/p>\n “That’s because the means test bites at such a low level and because more and more solicitors are giving up battling the bureaucracy and uneconomic rates of pay that accompany legal aid work, leading to growing advice deserts across the country.<\/p>\n “But there’s a swelling justice deficit here \u2013 if people cannot effectively enforce and defend their rights, then for all practical purposes those rights do not exist.”<\/p>\n Since March 2013 hundreds of thousands of people have become ineligible for legal aid, including victims of domestic abuse who are unable to secure an injunction to protect themselves from harm if they cannot afford to pay the required contributions.<\/p>\n Christina Blacklaws added:<\/p>\n “Our latest report: Civil and Criminal Solicitors’ Views on LASPO<\/em> paints a stark picture of people being denied legal aid when they are already at recognised levels of poverty. <\/p>\n “There is clear evidence that providing legal aid for early legal help, particularly in housing and family matters, is far more cost-effective than denying it. And just as people expect an NHS doctor to treat them when they fall sick \u2013 they should be able to get legal advice if they have a serious legal problem.”<\/p>\n The Law Society said that because of LASPO:<\/p>\n Ms Blacklaws concluded:<\/p>\n “The justice system is facing a cliff edge scenario: civil, family and criminal defence solicitors are part of an increasingly ageing profession. Government cuts mean there are not enough young lawyers entering fields of law covered by legal aid. What message does this send the world about our justice system?”<\/p>\n For the Law Society’s LASPO submission, click here<\/strong><\/a><\/strong>. For newly published research, commissioned by the Law Society, on the impact of legal aid capital and contribution thresholds for victims of domestic violence, click here<\/strong><\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n 28\/9\/18<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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