Lib Dems vote to stop legal aid cuts

Liberal Democrat logo for Your Expert Witness storyOn the final day of its autumn conference in Glasgow, the Liberal Democrats voted to oppose further cuts to legal aid and called for the proposed changes to be delayed.

The emergency motion was put by the Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association, supported by Julian Huppert MP and chair of the justice committee Sir Alan Beith MP.

The motion demanded that: “No further cuts in the provision of Legal Aid and the availability of local justice should take place without ensuring that any such proposals are first properly trialled and assessed to demonstrate that there will be no adverse effect upon access to justice and the quality of legal services provided to those who require assistance by means of Legal Aid.”

Lord McNally, the government minister in charge of the reforms in the Lords, opposed the motion.

Head of legal aid at the Law Society Richard Miller welcomed the ‘expression of concern’ from the party and said the votes draw further attention to the ‘substantial challenges’ facing the criminal legal aid sector.

Quoted in the Law Society Gazette, Eddie Tang, partner at London firm IBB said: “The government needs to fully scrutinise the current proposals to cut legal aid and the stance by the Liberal Democrats’ motion to stay the proposals pending thorough consultation on scrutiny is positive.”

He said the government must consider the effect of the “negative and unfair consequences” of the reforms on people who are denied access to justice, which he said “goes against the grain of the essence and spirit of legal aid”.

He described the planned cuts as a “complete travesty of justice” and for many vulnerable and poor people will mean that “justice cannot prevail”.