Legal aid has been a massive help to millions of people who cannot afford to seek the justice they deserve, but with the annual cost running to billions of pounds the government is making changes to the system in a bid to save the country money.
Justice secretary Kenneth Clarke wants to reduce the £2 billion cost of legal aid, introduced to England and Wales in 1949, and cut overall costs.
However, he is facing strong opposition from many sides, with NHS lawyers and campaign groups both warning against some of the proposals.
“It’s doubly bad because some people will be unable to get justice, and those who do will end up costing the state more,” Peter Walsh, chief executive of Action Against Medical Accidents, which campaigns for patient safety, told the Guardian.
Changes to legal aid could save the Ministry of Justice millions of pounds, but three-times as much will be pushed on to the NHS in “success fees” added by lawyers, he added.
Personal injury claims.
