denotes premium content | Sep 2 2010 
News
posted 22 May 2009
Law Society launches justice review
THE LAW Society is to undertake a review into the provision of publicly-funded criminal and civil legal aid, emphasising a likely increased need for such services as a result of the social impact of the recession.
Chair of the body’s access to justice committee, Andrew Caplen, said the need for legal aid would “undoubtedly increase”, with more people financially eligible owing to greater unemployment.
“The recession will lead to an increase in housing, familyand mental problems,” he said. “The Law Society wants to ensure publicly-funded legal services are there to help put people back on their feet.”
The review will focus on four key strands, including the delivery, funding and procurement of legal services. Among other issues, it will consider whether there is sufficient funding in place, and explore the Legal Services Commission’s (LSC’s) adoption of competitive price tendering when commissioning services.
The final area of the review will focus on the fundamental ‘principles of access to justice’. “Any rights people have can be meaningless if they do not know about them or do not have the means to enforce them,” the Law Society said.
Caplen said the review would also help “raise the profile of access to justice issues in the lead up to the next election”.
