COMMUNITY LEGAL ADVICE

Community Legal Advice



Community Legal Advice

Introduction

'Lawyers' are not the first word you associate with social justice. John Keats summed up the general stereotype, 'I think we may class the lawyer in the natural history of monsters.' Whilst most of us would argue that we are not monsters and in fact fulfill an important role in society, there are also those lawyers who provide a service that ensures equal access to the law and recognises the right of poorest and most vulnerable members of society to justice.

Many junior lawyers will have taken part in pro bono work or at legal aid advice centres whilst at law school and will recognise the importance of providing advice, assistance and representation to those with limited means. Legal aid is already limited and many who work in low paid jobs cannot afford legal advice, however, if the cuts to legal aid proposed by the Government are implemented this will hit the poor hardest. As Lord Bach said, 'What's the point of a legal aid system if it doesn't look after the poor?'

It is on behalf of those who would be excluded from legal aid if the cuts are imposed in their current form that we need to save legal aid. As the LASPO (Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders) Bill moves to the House of Lords the campaign to save legal aid needs your support (Hobbs, 1992, 575).

The campaign is against a bill that will remove legal services advising the poorest on employment rights, debt problems, welfare benefit law issues, immigration problems, clinical negligence, tenancy issues, or family and relationship breakdown/divorce. The Bill will have the impact of:

'Dismantling the integrity of a system that protects people from the time that they have a worry or concern when walking into their Citizens Advice Bureau to the time when, if necessary, they have a lawyer, whom they would not otherwise be able to afford, representing them in courts, and even in the appellate courts' (Eatwell, 1987, 58).

The government argues that it needs to cut £350 million from the £2 billion legal aid budget. However, their plans have been labeled a false economy with valid arguments from those with professional understanding of legal aid that cuts will not save money and in fact have knock-on costs both socially and economically. In addition alternative ideas to make savings have been given short shrift by the government.

There are an increasing number of people speaking out against the reforms but more pressure is needed if the House of Lords are to make any changes. To listen or read about those who have already spoken out or to leave your own message check out Sound off for Justice or check out the charities who are part of the Save Legal Aid campaign (Stanton, 1995, 42).

Progress of the Bill

The LASPO (Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders) Bill has all but finished its progress through the House of ...