Eight legal groups joined forces this week to deliver a 'Manifesto for Justice' to the three main political parties, in a bid to combat the 'negative agenda' that they claim has portrayed the law as standing in the way of the public interest.

Drawn up by groups including the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG), Criminal Law Solicitors Association and Bar Council, it calls on the parties to show their commitment to access to justice. The Law Society this week also backed the manifesto.


It asks parties to agree to three core principles of justice: good governance and the rule of law, respect for human rights, and access to justice either through advice or representation. It goes on to recommend that intercept evidence should be admitted in terrorist trials, and questions the fairness of the full costs recovery principle in the civil courts.


The document recommends exploring innovative models of face-to-face provision of advice, including community legal practices, mobile legal surgeries and expanded telephone services. It emphasises the need for young lawyers to receive sufficient pay to make law an attractive career option for people from diverse backgrounds.


The manifesto warns that reduced eligibility for legal aid in civil cases could generate far greater costs to the welfare state. It recommends a fixed amount of parliamentary time to be set aside to consider Law Commission reports, and suggests that new criminal justice legislation should be put on hold until existing laws have been evaluated.


Not-for-profit organisations Advice UK, Citizens Advice, Justice, Law Centres Federation and the Legal Action Group also contributed to the manifesto.


LAPG director Richard Miller said: 'Recent months show that issues that have been taken for granted - such as the right to a fair trial with the evidence against you able to be tested - are no longer certain. All the parties seem to have lost their commitment to the key underlying aspects of a fair system.'