NAO reports on legal aid cuts
Financial Times (£) and Sky News cover a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) which shows that annual legal spending has been cut by nearly a third (28%) over the last decade. The piece mentions the Law Society’s legal action against the government on criminal legal aid.
Independent, Daily Mail, The Justice Gap and Mirror continue coverage with a quote from Vice President Richard Atkinson, who said:
“Millions of people now live in areas where they can no longer access the help and advice that Parliament has said they are entitled to. The people who are affected most by this are families facing eviction, victims of abuse seeking the protection they need or a vulnerable person denied access to the care they’re entitled to.
“The MoJ must ensure that access to legal aid – which is itself a core element of access to justice – is supported by a sustainable and resilient legal aid market.”
Duty solicitors raise health and safety concerns
Gazette reports that the LAA is consulting on the Wakefield and Pontefract police station scheme, which requires one duty solicitor to be on call for 24-hours. Practitioners raised concerns about their health and safety as they have to drive after long hours at the police station. The Law Society’s judicial review is mentioned.
Evictions on the rise
Real Property reports on the most recent quarterly data which shows that evictions increased by 14% between October-December 2023.
Richard Atkinson, Vice President of the Law Society, said: “The rising number of evictions and repossessions remains a major concern as we are deeply concerned about the state of the housing legal aid system.”
“With the cost-of-living crisis and high interest rates, many are struggling to pay rent and mortgage. For those at risk of losing their home, access to housing legal assistance is critical.
“Yet our research found that 25.3 million people (42%) do not have a local legal aid provider for housing advice. More and more companies can no longer afford to offer this service as the cost of legal aid has fallen by almost 50% since 1996.”
In a longer feature about the housing crisis in Liverpool, Gazette mentions Law Society research which shows the decline of housing legal aid providers in the area: nine in 2019; eight in 2022; five in 2023.
Also worth a read:
- 17,000 cases ‘inactive’ on LAA systems – Gazette
- Anti-torture watchdog warns against Rwanda plans – Guardian
- Legal professionals using generative AI tools – Gazette
- Lady Chief Justice: a free press is fundamental to democracy – Times
- Electrical fire in the Old Bailey causes evacuation of 1,500 people – Gazette
- Ex-minister and former MP Rory Stewart voices opinion on HMCTS reform programme - Gazette