Children will lose out if Legal Aid cuts go ahead

JustRights and Sound Off For Justice have published a joint report, Not Seen And Not Heard: how children and young people will lose out from cuts to civil legal aid.

The report has found that 6,000 children under the age of 18 and 69,000 vulnerable young adults aged 18 to 24 will lose access to civil legal aid in their own right as a result of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill.

It also finds that it would cost just £10 million to protect legal aid for all children and £40 million to protect all young adults - figures dwarfed by the knock-on costs for government that will result from these cases being left unresolved.

The report can be found at: http://justrights.org.uk/sites/default/files/NotSeen_NotHeard1_FINAL.pdf

Stephensons is strongly opposing the proposals to cut legal aid. Legal aid is a fundamental right in any democratic society. It allows the poor, the vulnerable and the oppressed to have a voice and to be represented against large commercial organisations. We undermine our Legal Aid system at our peril.

By Stephensons' Chairwoman, Ann Harrison

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