Report comment

I am so pleased to read this article. The MOJ are spinning nonsense about how the courts are coping, how we need less lawyers, and court buildings etc. McKenzie friends regretabbly are not helpful eiher, often being little other than bumbling pleasant, long winded nuisances who don't help, or officious types, thinking they're better than everyone else, and making the time at court tiresome.

I do lots of family and civil work, and am never surprised by the ludicrous amounts of time taken by LiPs and McKenzie friends - one took a call in an application before a District Judgem raising their hand to silence a protesting DJ. Another referred to a Circuit Judge as 'Your Majesty' in between rambling about her divorce .... in a civil case. Litigants are shut out of using lawyers because of the frankly abhorrent fee increases of up to 600% in serious cases, introduced alogside fee cuts to lawyers 'because law is too expensive'. You really couldn't make it up.

The system is broken. It's not collapsing, it has fallen apart some time ago. The level of advocacy in the Magistrates Court from quitea few of the profesionals is shocking, largely because of the low fees, despite the good old advocates soldiering along for kids rates.

Legal Aid has gone, fees have been slashed. It's not rocket science.

The old scriptural writing on the wall springs to mind "mene mene tekel upharsin" Which roughly tanslates as "you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting"

The MOJ really need to take not, but of course they will shake their head and proceed alomg the lines of all being rosy.