CAB warns legal aid system decimated by government audits

The legal aid system is being audited out of existence to the extent that the poor and socially excluded "are unable to receive the help they need", the Citizens Advice annual conference was told today.

In his address today to the Citizens Advice annual conference at the University of York, Chief Executive David Harker told over 1,000 delegates that, despite their best efforts, government policy in this area was delivering "injustice and unfairness in a way that was inexcusable".

Mr Harker said: “The reality, experienced by our bureaux staff, is that there is a continuing and deepening crisis in the provision of publicly funded legal services to the people who need them most. Hundreds of legal aid lawyers are calling it a day - audited out of existence.

“In areas of the south-east problems with contracting are leading providers - especially private practice solicitors to abandon the Community Legal Service entirely. This leads to the growth of advice deserts - areas where the poor and socially excluded wander in ever-increasing circles looking for help. The town of Leatherhead has not one single legal aid solicitor. And in the whole of Kent there are no housing solicitors offering legal aid.

“It is clear that the current arrangements are not delivering access to justice. They are delivering injustice and unfairness, and it is inexcusable.”

He referred to the "Byzantine level of bureaucracy" in dealings with the Legal Services Commission, which was presenting "a clear and present danger to many bureaux".

The Citizens Advice annual conference was also told that bureaux in England, Wales and Northern Ireland last year dealt with 5,671,987 new problems. Many of these problems were dealt with under contractual agreements with the Community Legal Service - as 244 Bureaux had funded contracts to give advice.

(gmcg)