Society launches campaign to fight legal aid cuts
The Law Society has called on law firms to lobby MPs over the impact of the government’s proposed legal aid overhaul, in the first stage in its campaign to fight the cuts.
Chancery Lane has warned that the plans outlined in last week’s consultation to reduce the funding and scope of legal aid will have a devastating impact on access to justice, leaving only the ‘poorest of the poor’ eligible for public funding.
The Society has published a briefing pack to help firms educate local MPs and media on the effect of changes that would see nearly 550,000 cases denied eligibility and 10% across-the-board cuts to lawyers’ fees.
As well as arranging meetings with constituency MPs, the pack advises practitioners to seek the support of their local authorities and councillors.
At a national level, the Law Society will be running an active campaign to lobby parliament and the government to reconsider many of the proposals set out in the Green Papers.
Richard Miller, the Law Society’s head of legal aid policy, said: ‘The only way to get an effective national lobbying campaign is to have the grass roots work going on as well.
‘Solicitors lobbying their MPs and local media is an essential first step in seeking to persuade the government to take a different path,’ he added.
Visit the Law Society website for the briefing pack and further information.
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1 Law Society needs to understand why the Bar thinks Procureco is such a great idea. I am told that, for instance, local authorities will not allow individuals to tender for work. Barristers who represent Local Authorities need to tender for this work. They see Procureco as a necessity. Is there not an alternative? Is this really the case?
2 Law Society should be encouraging Solicitors to qualify as HCAs.
3 Law Society/SRA/SAHCA should be providing robust training and assessment for HCAs so we can withstand the nonsense that is QAA.
How can the answer to a cut in fees be to offer free legal advice?
It is because certain firms have been willing to see off any competition through speculative bidding and from sucking up to the LSC that legal aid fees have been cut.
There are too many Solicitors eager and willing to see off competition to preserve their own business model by playing along with every daft idea that comes out of the LSC eg CLACs and Peer Review that now I personally do not care if, indeed it would give me some pleasure to see, the larger legal aid firms implode. Big is not beautiful as far as the delivery of legal aid funded services is concerned. Local and personal is the only way to be. The sooner that MoJ and LSC realise that working towards big, regional or even national firms is a nonsense the better.
ACCESS TO LEGAL AID IS ESSENTIAL
Access to Legal Aid is essential to ensure a fair and legal society for all.
Employment Law should ensure equal access, rights, pay and work.
If it doesnt The Government, The Politicians are failing The Electorate!
Civil Law should ensure violent men are punished appropriately.
If it doesnt The Government, The Politicians are failing The Electorate!