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Old 27-06-11, 11:44 PM   #1
Ed
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Default Legal Aid cuts

I am guessing that in all the sentencing debacle - no 50% discount for an early plea after all - many on here will not be aware of the Govt's proposed cuts to civil legal aid. They hid it well, it hardly got a mention on the news. Seeing I have a bit more time nowadays, I'm campaigning on it. I'm seeing the MP soon, he's also Sec of State for Norn Iron, so I get to heckle Cabinet minister.

I also wrote to the local rag, the Shropshire Star, this is the text of my letter:


The government has published its plan for legal aid cuts today. Readers should know just what butchery they are about to inflict.


The plan is to save £350m by axing whole areas from legal aid; cutting eligibility; and taking 10% off lawyer fees - already very low on legal aid. Would you like a 10% pay cut? This is to fund Ken Clarke's failure to convince Tory MPs on a 50% sentence discount for an early guilty plea, so they have to find the money from somewhere to keep these people locked up.


So, there will be no legal aid for employment, debt, divorce, housing, immigration, and civil disputes including medical negligence. If your ex has fleeced you on money, expect no help. If you're a dad wanting access to your kids - expect to pay for it all, there will be no legal aid. If the DWP screws up your benefit - sadly all too common - expect no help. If you're a victim of botched surgery, you will face the NHS Litigation Authority on your own. And if the roof leaks in your rented house, then too bad, unless you can pay for a lawyer you'll just have to put up with the damp.


No help for a claim on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme either. These cases are always difficult, not least because of the strict time limits that apply.


The butchery is so savage that you should assume that civil legal aid is scrapped and then look for the few exceptions, like where domestic violence is claimed (so watch the number of violence claims soar).



To justify this the government says ‘importance of issues relatively low’. It's disgraceful to trivialise peoples' real problems. Access to the courts will be only for the government and for the rich. The CAB won't be able to help, their funding is slashed too.


It's blindingly obvious that people are less likely to win without legal help. Most people haven't a clue how to prepare and present a case in court - and why should they? If the other side is well-resourced and legally represented, what chance have you got? If you're taking on your former employer because they unfairly dismissed you, and they can afford a barrister and you can't, would you even start - no matter the strength of your case?


Faced with these difficulties, most will give up at the start.


And even if you do get legal aid, say domestic violence, instead of seeing your local trusted solicitor first, you'll have to call the Ministry of Justice, although they will outsource it to some faceless company that doesn't care about your problems. And because of the way legal aid is run, it's entirely possible that large areas of the country will be left without a local legal aid lawyer.


The legal aid axe might have been partly offset by the no win, no fee system. But here's the 'double whammy'.


At the same time as this legal aid butchery, the Government is making it harder for cases to be brought under no win, no fee so as to change the economics of the system and to deter cases from starting in the first place.


All this is to pay for the greed of a handful of bankers who caused the crisis and who as far as I can see carry on largely as they did before, bailed out by you and me, and still enjoying fat bonuses whilst everyone else goes to hell in a handbasket.


If we can afford to lend £7bn to Ireland, and if we can afford to give £850m to train teachers in space and nuclear power India, we should be able to find the money so that people here in Britain can enforce their basic civil rights.


We have had a funded legal aid scheme for over 60 years and we should not allow it to be taken away without a fight. When you next need a legal aid lawyer - and each year half a million people in England and Wales do - remember this letter.


And here in Shropshire, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, and Oswestry County Courts are closing on 30 September, all the cases being transferred to Telford, with most of the staff sacked.


This is what access to justice means in England in 2011. The doors of Telford County Court are open to everyone. Just like the Ritz Hotel. It's absolutely disgraceful.


* *



These idiots did an impact analysis and said that the impact was acceptable. Oh yeah?? 64% of benefit claimants are disabled. I don't see the acceptability of picking on people who are least able to defend themselves.


I know that some on here have had legal aid. Consider yourselves fortunate, after October it won't exist. They're doing much the same to criminal legal aid too.
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Old 28-06-11, 04:12 AM   #2
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

I didn't vote them in. I remember the last time they Ran the uk . Sold off all the assets to fund tax breaks for the Rich.hiked interest rates.
History reppeating its self.
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Old 28-06-11, 05:52 AM   #3
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

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I didn't vote them in. I remember the last time they Ran the uk . Sold off all the assets to fund tax breaks for the Rich.hiked interest rates.
History reppeating its self.
So this stuff aside, you would've liked labour to have stayed in government ? They are the ones who got us in this mess, I don't agree with all the cuts but they are not doing for the sake of it, it's to reduce our debt which labour are directly responsible for.

The Tories have never took over government with a stable economy, it's always been fecked, so they sort it while in office with cuts and difficult decisions, this pi55es of a lot of the public who them vote them out and labour back in who are in a good position at this point economically but will succeed in fecking it all up again, cycle starts again.
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Old 28-06-11, 08:16 AM   #4
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

To be honest none of them.
They are both opposit extremes.
We should not waste cash on nuclear weapons .implement reforms on immigration ,that's been dropped .
The benefit system a mess .
My plan put them all.up.against the wall and shoot the lot of em.
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Old 28-06-11, 08:33 AM   #5
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

So what are the skint people meant to do, disappear?
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Old 28-06-11, 08:35 AM   #6
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

Unfortunately the legal aid system didn't work in the first place. It ensured those with no assets or the very rich could afford to litigate. Middle England was left with the option of funding themselves or walking away from their legal rights as the could not afford to enforce them.

Additionally the last governments messing about built up the current claim culture where frivolous claims are submitted in the knowledge that insurance companies etc will attempt a quick settlement rather that protracted claims and associated legal costs. At least with the proposed changes where the costs are deducted from the award claims chasers will now want the claim to be winnable.

3rd option, get your kids trained. That way they can do the work for you.
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Old 28-06-11, 09:19 AM   #7
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

No uni funding now so if you can't afford a solicitor I doubt putting your kids through uni is an option .
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Old 28-06-11, 09:24 AM   #8
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

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Originally Posted by timwilky View Post
Unfortunately the legal aid system didn't work in the first place. It ensured those with no assets or the very rich could afford to litigate. Middle England was left with the option of funding themselves or walking away from their legal rights as the could not afford to enforce them.

Additionally the last governments messing about built up the current claim culture where frivolous claims are submitted in the knowledge that insurance companies etc will attempt a quick settlement rather that protracted claims and associated legal costs. At least with the proposed changes where the costs are deducted from the award claims chasers will now want the claim to be winnable.

3rd option, get your kids trained. That way they can do the work for you.
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No uni funding now so if you can't afford a solicitor I doubt putting your kids through uni is an option .
Oh, oh, oh! I know the answer to this one.....

Become a Freeman of the Land....

Hmmmm, Agree with Tim on this one.
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Old 28-06-11, 09:46 AM   #9
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

Ed (a very warm welcome back by the way!),

Have you tried contacting Martin Lewis about it? I can't believe this would be something he wouldn't take an interest in, and he's got a awwwwfy lot of clout.

Good luck with it.

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Old 28-06-11, 12:28 PM   #10
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Default Re: Legal Aid cuts

Firstly welcome back mate!!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Geodude View Post
So what are the skint people meant to do, disappear?
In the Tory boys eyes (Eaton educated, don't know what being skint is etc... Yes I am stereotyping and I know the Libs or Labour ain't much better) Yes.

This is whats ED getting at (anyone thats seen the documentary will know what other research Moore did about the NHS socialism etc....)

YouTube Video
Error: If you cannot see this video, then either YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed to play it.



Quote:
Originally Posted by timwilky View Post
Unfortunately the legal aid system didn't work in the first place. It ensured those with no assets or the very rich could afford to litigate. Middle England was left with the option of funding themselves or walking away from their legal rights as the could not afford to enforce them.

Additionally the last governments messing about built up the current claim culture where frivolous claims are submitted in the knowledge that insurance companies etc will attempt a quick settlement rather that protracted claims and associated legal costs. At least with the proposed changes where the costs are deducted from the award claims chasers will now want the claim to be winnable.

3rd option, get your kids trained. That way they can do the work for you.

Sad thing is anyone that earns a survivable wage gets very little and people on a liveable wage gets nowt. The no win no fee firms have sadly partially caused this cut to happen and made everyones insurance go sky high.

the 3rd option is good but expensive
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