The Ministry of Justice faces another legal challenge to its legal aid reforms. The charity Disability Law Service has applied for permission to start judicial review proceedings in relation to the removal of civil legal aid funding for welfare benefits cases.

The charity argues the decision is irrational and that the consultation on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill was unlawful since it did not fully consider the effect of the proposals on disabled people. The charity also questions the validity of the consultation’s equality impact assessments.

Sean Rivers, a solicitor at the charity, said: ‘What the government is doing… could annihilate welfare benefits as an area of law.’ An MoJ spokeswoman could not comment on any legal action, but said: ‘At more than £2bn per year, we have one of the most expensive legal aid systems in the world.’

The MoJ also faces challenges: to the removal of legal aid for clinical negligence, brought by charity Action Against Medical Accidents; to plans for a mandatory telephone gateway to the civil legal aid scheme, brought by the Public Law Project; and to the removal of committal fees, brought by the Law Society.

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