Autumn Statement's proposed MoJ budget cuts are a 'big concern' - Bar Council
Chairman of the Bar Council, Alistair MacDonald QC, responds to the Autumn Statement saying the proposed overall resource savings of 15% and a 50% cut in the department’s administrative budget must not leave people without access to justice.
Investment to modernise courts and tribunals is vital to the successful reform of our criminal justice system and today’s Ministry of Justice settlement safeguards the £700 million announced earlier this year.
Proposed overall resource savings of 15% and a 50% cut in the department’s administrative budget, are obviously a big concern.
Whatever plans have been made to implement these cuts, we urge the Government to ensure that access to justice, particularly for the most vulnerable, is not further restricted.
Since LASPO was enacted, hundreds of thousands of people have been left without access to legal advice, often in serious cases involving custody of children, victims of domestic violence, and access to housing, education, health and welfare services.
The introduction of court fees means people must now pay to £10,000 in order to get access to the courts if they are injured at work or if they are a small business chasing a late payer.
The criminal justice system is creaking to the point where people accused of crimes do not always have a properly qualified legal representative to defend them.
Access to justice has already been restricted beyond the reasonable endurance of ordinary citizens. The question now for the Government is; how do we make sure access to justice is not restricted even further?
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