Three charitable organisations have called for a new national body to educate the public on their legal rights and tell them how to access legal advice, in a consultation document launched this week.

The Advice Services Alliance, the Citizenship Foundation and the Legal Action Group are seeking government funding for a specially created body to fill a gap in legal education caused by changes to the way legal advice centres are funded.


The groups claim that funding of legal advice centres through legal aid contracts, which relate to specific casework, leaves centres unable to provide general preventative advice. Funding for core work is often used up on casework that falls outside legal aid funding, such as representation at tribunals, the groups claim.


The new body would combat popular misconceptions such as those surrounding the rights attaching to cohabiting couples, and advise on preventing common disputes, for example in landlord and tenant matters.


Martin Jones, project director at the Advice Services Alliance, said: 'Many advice centres have a long tradition of educational work, but the emphasis on legal aid contracts means that unless there is a clear structure in place for education and general preventative work, it will wither away.


Research has shown that nothing is done to solve one in five civil law problems, often because a person does not understand their rights or know how to get help.'


Nony Ardill, policy director at the Legal Action Group, a charity that campaigns for access to justice, said: 'People should know about the law - that is their right. It is very important that a national body takes responsibility for either promoting and delivering public awareness, or enabling other organisations on the ground to take on this work.'


She added: 'As people become aware of their rights, that may generate as many legal disputes as it avoids. But people should not be left guessing and relying on myths and misunderstandings.'


www.advicenow.org.uk