The legal aid cuts resulted in an 84% reduction in the number of civil (non-criminal) publicy funded cases. Image: Tom Elkins. All rights reserved.
After a nine-month delay the Ministry of Justice has now published its post-implementation review of the legal aid cuts that came into force in 2013.
To address the chaos that these cuts have caused in our justice system, the government needs to take decisive and dramatic action. Despite some welcome recommendations, the review falls very short. Although the Lord Chancellor acknowledges in the foreword that "the ability of individuals to resolve their legal issues is vital for a just society" the remainder of the review fails to address the reality that, since the cuts, most people simply cannot afford to seek justice.
