LDP Legal: Liverpool solicitor warns of dire consequences of legal aid cuts
THE next president of Liverpool Law Society has warned that the
country's legal aid system is facing "the most devastating cuts in
its history".
Steve Cornforth, senior partner at city law firm EAD Solicitors,
was speaking as the Legal Aid, Sentencing And Punishment Of
Offenders Bill was due to enter its second reading in the House Of
Lords.
The Government is proposing to cut the annual legal aid budget
by £350m, as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the criminal
justice system.
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has said he wants to end
"compensation culture" by preventing expensive litigation and
curbing the activities of "no win, no fee" firms. But a House of
Lords committee report issued last week said the legal aid reforms
threatened access to justice. It proposed changing the wording to
say the Lord Chancellor "must secure that legal aid is made
available in order to ensure effective access to justice".
Mr Cornforth said: "Our legal aid system, of which we have been
rightly proud, is facing the most devastating cuts in its
history.
"It will no longer be possible to have public funding in many
areas of law including welfare benefits, immigration and medical
negligence.
"But those most badly hit will be victims of domestic violence.
Under the proposed new regime, a victim of domestic violence will
find it virtually impossible to get legal aid to apply to the court
for protection. The victim will have to establish there is a 'high
risk of violence' before legal aid will be available.
"Most commentators and practitioners accept in reality this
means there will have to have been reports to the police.
"Statistics show very few women report violence to the
police.
"Firms which specialise in family law and have recently audited
files reported their last caseload which numbered hundreds will be
reduced to single figures once these cuts take effect. The reason a
civil remedy was brought into existence in the 1970s was to address
this very problem. These provisions take us back 40 years and will
see many women trapped in abusive relationships."
He added: "Any civilised society has to have a rule of law.
"However, if that rule of law is to be of anything but notional
value, there must be an equal right of access.
"To deny that some of the most vulnerable members of society the
support of that society to seek protection is a dangerous and
retrograde step."
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/ldp-legal/2011/11/22/ldp-legal-liverpool-solicitor-warns-of-dire-consequences-of-legal-aid-cuts-92534-29817144/