Report comment

Deborah your police must be much more pro-active than ours, then, not a week goes by without a call from someone who has serious issues with neighbours (often involving criminal behaviour) who has been told by the police "it's a civil matter-get a solicitor and get an injunction". As we require a very substantial sum of money "on account" to even think of starting work on the paperwork for an injunction (the sort of sum I certainly couldn't find in one go) it would appear that the police are ensuring at one fell swoop that these matters can never be brought to any kind of justice. 25 years ago when I qualified these sorts of cases were indeed eligible for (and deserving of) legal aid and I often pursued them on that basis. If this government gets another 5 year term next year they will surely do everything possible to remove the high street solicitor altogerther (just keeping a handful of Tory leaning corporate firms in London and the large cities to make sure that the Govt succeeds in chucking out all challenges to its policies etc). Direct access to Counsel will mean that clients no longer require solicitors to assist them (indeed I was recently up against a defendant "in person" who was advised throughout and then represented in a very agressive manner by direct access counsel whose overall bill was way more than ours and we were the Claimant. That was a civil property injunction matter. so not only the poor but also us poor solicitors will be eating shreddies to keep us going (it works according to my 14 year old son)