Pro bono week arrives

The tenth annual National Pro bono Week began on Monday with a concerted appeal from the profession for clemency on legal aid. The Bar Council, Law Society and ILEX warned that proposals to remove legal aid funding from many areas of law would undermine the work of lawyers acting pro bono.

John Wotton, president of the Law Society, said: “The pro bono community is united in saying that its efforts will be undermined by the government’s plans. Without legal aid, expertise in areas like welfare, debt and housing will dissipate and the ability to train the pro bono lawyers who enhance provision will be permanently destroyed. The proposed cuts therefore represent a double assault on access to justice.”