A coalition of legal aid organisations and professional bodies has published “A Manifesto for Justice” ahead of the General Election.
It reads: “The justice system underpins the principles of liberty and democracy, the rule of law, and our human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“Justice is precious. The price we pay for it should reflect the value we place on living in a just and ordered society.”
According to the coalition, changes introduced in this parliament have meant: 400,000 more people denied access to legal aid; a 30% increase in people representing themselves in court; challenging unlawful government decisions restricted to the wealthy; and individual rights and freedoms threatened by surveillance laws.
They call on whoever forms a government in May to restore legal aid to areas removed from scope by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), scrap recent reforms to judicial review and provide proper oversight of surveillance powers introduced by anti-terrorism laws.
Alistair MacDonald QC, chairman of the Bar, says: “Politicians think justice, in the broader sense, yields insufficient political capital.
“And why shouldn’t they? Voters have for years taken access to justice for granted as an immutable part of our heritage and the established order. But for how much longer will they so do?”
Nimrod Ben Cnaan, head of policy and profile, Law Centres Network said legal aid cuts had “been so severe that even the remaining help is not functioning properly. The price is too dear: without access to legal assistance, people suffer unfairness and ultimately injustice; these blight their lives, deepen inequality and undermine the rule of law. We must ensure that justice is accessible to those who need it most.”
Earlier this month, legal aid lawyers launched a Manifesto for Legal Aid, calling on the government to “immediately review” LASPO.
