The Law Society, Bar Council, CBA and CLSA gave powerful evidence on crime competitive tendering to the Justice Select Committee yesterday.
Meanwhile, BBC Radio 4’s Law in Action also covered legal aid, with a rather testy Lord McNally confirming there had been 15 to 20,000 responses to the consultation, many of which – including from the Council of Circuit Judges, the Law Society and the Bar Council – he dismissed as “hysterical”. Again, the debate focussed on crime issues.
While it is good and welcome that crime is being well covered, it should not be forgotten that the civil proposals are just as destructive. For just one example of why, see these letters to the Guardian pointing out that not only will no babies ever be represented in care proceedings, neither would the next Victoria Climbie.
At the end of the evidence session, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff asked if the Committee would also be enquiring into the civil proposals, and Sir Alan Beith, the Chair, replied that the committee would consider representations made to it. You can contact the committee to make representations here.
Legal Aid Handbook 