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Access to justice is in crisis as legal aid cuts have created a two-tier system, a Labour-party commissioned report stated.
The interim report from the Bach Commission, The crisis in the justice system in England and Wales, called for minimum standards enshrined in law to ensure access to justice and an independent inspectorate to enforce them.
It identified six key problems in the system: the loss of legal aid; the failure of the exceptional case funding scheme; inadequate and disjointed public legal education and legal advice; increased court and tribunal fees; excessive bureaucracy in the Legal Aid Agency (LAA); and out-of-date technology.
The solution, it said, cannot simply be to reverse the cuts introduced through the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), and to increase the legal aid budget.
Rather, the Commission plans to develop proposals to establish a minimum standard for access to justice, reform or replace the LAA, transform pubic legal education, increase the availability of legal advice, and increase technological innovation by considering an online portal; an innovation fund and options for alternative dispute resolution.
Labour peer Lord Bach, who chairs the commission, said the justice system is ‘creaking at the seams’ and the LASPO cuts have produced a ‘crisis’ in the justice system in which the poorest in society can no longer receive the legal support they require.
‘This unacceptable state of affairs needs challenging and changing. This report is the starting point in our on-going work to redesign the justice system so that it works for all,’ he said.
The commission aims to publish its final report next year.
Access to justice is in crisis as legal aid cuts have created a two-tier system, a Labour-party commissioned report stated.
The interim report from the Bach Commission, The crisis in the justice system in England and Wales, called for minimum standards enshrined in law to ensure access to justice and an independent inspectorate to enforce them.
It identified six key problems in the system: the loss of legal aid; the failure of the exceptional case funding scheme; inadequate and disjointed public legal education and legal advice; increased court and tribunal fees; excessive bureaucracy in the Legal Aid Agency (LAA); and out-of-date technology.
The solution, it said, cannot simply be to reverse the cuts introduced through the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), and to increase the legal aid budget.
Rather, the Commission plans to develop proposals to establish a minimum standard for access to justice, reform or replace the LAA, transform pubic legal education, increase the availability of legal advice, and increase technological innovation by considering an online portal; an innovation fund and options for alternative dispute resolution.
Labour peer Lord Bach, who chairs the commission, said the justice system is ‘creaking at the seams’ and the LASPO cuts have produced a ‘crisis’ in the justice system in which the poorest in society can no longer receive the legal support they require.
‘This unacceptable state of affairs needs challenging and changing. This report is the starting point in our on-going work to redesign the justice system so that it works for all,’ he said.
The commission aims to publish its final report next year.
Far-ranging month for the Chair of the Bar
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the most recent data on alcohol misuse in the UK, and the implications for alcohol testing in family proceedings
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how tailored financial planning can help barristers take control of their finances and plan with confidence
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Seeing the full picture – Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Is the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office process fit for purpose? Women barristers’ experiences of bullying are not being reported or, if they are, they are not making it through the system, says Tana Adkin KC
Review by Daniel Barnett
Chair of the Bar reports back
