Counsel Magazine

MORE than 50 bar association leaders from around the world have approved a communiqué in support of access to justice. The members of the group, which gathered in London on the occasion of the opening of the legal year, have voiced their concerns about cutbacks in funding legal services at the very time when recession has highlighted the need for access to legal advice and representation, especially for the weak and vulnerable. The bar leaders agreed:

• To renew our commitment to the fundamental principle that no one should be unable to enforce or defend a right for want of the resources necessary to obtain legal advice and representation
• To urge governments to provide adequate funding to ensure access to justice for all, regardless of means, social or ethnic background, gender or the nature of their cause.
• To encourage the members of our professions to continue to undertake fairly remunerated publicly-funded work, as well as pro bono work – recognising that the latter can never operate as a substitute for properly funded legal aid by the state.
• To commit ourselves, in the public interest, to work together with governments and state agencies to explore ways in which access to justice can be improved for the benefit of all including taxpayers who fund the justice systems we serve. Please login/register to see full article