Corbyn slams fat cat lawyer myth

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn denounced the myth of “fat cat lawyers riding the gravy train” and declared “l would not say that legal aid is an economic benefit, it’s a basic human right”, at the Voices for Justice rally in support of legal aid last week. Taking a break from his shadow cabinet reshuffle, he condemned court closures and the abolition of large areas of civil legal aid in 2013, calling the LASPO cuts “brutal”. Shadow justice minister Lord Bach is currently carrying out a comprehensive review of legal aid for Labour. The rally, organised by the Justice Alliance, was attended by prominent lawyers and campaigners. See further Jon Robins’s coverage of the rally.