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• Legal aid cuts ‘could hit 100,000 vulnerable people’
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Legal aid cuts 'could hit 100,000 vulnerable people'

11 January 2011

An estimated 100,000 of the most vulnerable in society will be hit by the coalition’s planned ‘reforms’ to the legal aid system in England and Wales, Unite, the largest union in the country, said today (Tuesday 11 January).

Unite made its grim prediction before tomorrow’s (Wednesday 12 January) launch of the Justice for All campaign at the House of Commons which will be the springboard to reverse November’s announcement by the justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, denying  access to the legal aid system for those seeking help on debt, education, employment, immigration, housing, social welfare and family cases.

Unite is one of a number of organisations working under the Justice for All umbrella. The campaign aims to reverse the swingeing cuts in the Justice Ministry’s legal aid budget over the next four years and also the drastic reduction in local authority funding.

Unite is urging MPs to sign an early day motion calling on the government to rethink the provision of legal services for the poorest in society.

The speakers at the launch include Labour MP Yvonne Fovargue - incoming chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for Legal Aid - and veteran Liberal Democrat MP, Sir Alan Beith, chair of the Commons justice select committee.

Rachael Maskell, Unite national officer for the not for profit sector, said: ”We estimate - and we expect this will be backed up by figures from the Justice Ministry - that the savage cuts to the legal aid budget will affect 100,000 of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
 
”Because of the current austerity measures which will cause joblessness, repossession of homes and relationship breakdowns, everyone should have an interest in a strong legal aid system. It could, unfortunately, be ‘you’.”

The Justice for All campaign aims to ensure that the principles of legal aid, enshrined when they were set out in 1949, are maintained, especially as the coalition’s tough austerity package bites in 2011.

Unite argues that the government’s £81 billion worth of cuts, announced in the comprehensive spending review last October, will heighten the need for the very legal services which are now for the chop.

Rachael Maskell added: ”For those legal advice services that survive these cuts, lawyers and advisors will be severely restricted because of cost constraints as to what they can offer in the way of support.“

Unite has 60,000 members in the not for profit sector.

ENDS

Notes to news editors:

• Journalists are warmly welcome to attend the launch of the Justice for All campaign on Wednesday (12 January) from 3.30pm to 5pm in the Jubilee Room, House of Commons.
• For further information, please contact: Rachael Maskell on 07768 693933 and/or Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
• Legal aid costs: 0.3 per cent of GDP.
• The Justice for All alliance has grown rapidly, with over 1,000 members from charities, trade unions, lawyers, community groups and members of the public.
• Speaking at the launch will be:
• Yvonne Fovargue MP (incoming chair of the APPG for legal aid. She has also tabled EDM 1194 in support of the campaign) 
• Sir Alan Beith MP - chair of the Commons justice select committee 
• Colin Ashall - outlining his experience receiving advice from Community Links  
• Patience Asuquo - outlining the experience of receiving advice from a law centre
• This will be preceded by a group lobby by Justice for All members from across the country meeting their local MPs outlining their concerns.
• The full text of EDM 1194
  That this House welcomes the Justice for All campaign launched in the House of Commons on 12 January 2011; supports the aims of the campaign which are to raise awareness of the vital importance of advice and representation on legal matters for the most vulnerable in our society and to ensure that everyone is treated fairly under the law, no matter who they are, how much money they have or where they live; recognises that the strength of feeling is reflected in the fact that the campaign is a broad coalition of legal and advice agencies, trades unions, charities, community groups and members of the public; regrets that the reduction in spending on legal aid, through restrictions in scope and eligibility and the blanket 10 per cent. cut in the lower fee paid to providers of legal services, is having a detrimental effect on access to justice and on the well-being of the most vulnerable people; questions the real cost savings to the public purse that this budget reduction will achieve, given that early advice on legal matters saves money by keeping families together in their homes, and in work and education; believes that free, independent advice and representation on legal matters is essential to achieve justice for all; and calls on the government to rethink the provision of legal services for the poorest in society.