Law Society launches Access to Justice campaign

The Law Society has again stated that access to justice is on the verge of a 'crisis' as legal advice becomes more expensive and difficult to obtain.

To mark its 'Access to Justice Day' the Law Society has launched a campaign which aims to raise public awareness of the help still available.

Commenting on the new campaign, the Law Society president, Andrew Caplen, said: "There can be no effective rule of law when we lack a fully accessible and affordable legal system. It is against that backdrop - 600,000 people losing access to civil legal aid, the effects of the Jackson reforms and the ongoing threat to criminal legal aid - that today we are launching our Access to Justice campaign."

The campaign aims to persuade policymakers to introduce changes to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and support solicitors in making their products and services more accessible.

In order to do this the Law Society has joined forces with the Legal Action Group and Legal Aid Practitioners Group to produce a poster, leaflet and webpage to help the public ascertain whether they might qualify for legal aid. The regulator has also established an online guide to legal aid and the eligibility criteria for obtaining it.

Commenting on LASPO, the president of the Law Society, said: "The LASPO changes have had a marked effect on both individuals and the courts. There has been a large increase in litigants in person as for many their only option is to represent themselves. The recent case of Re B in the Family Courts Division has shown some of the difficulties that can arise because of this.

"The Law Society is not against a merit-based legal aid system per se. Neither are we suggesting that the government should just sign a 'blank cheque'. But a number of the consequences that have flowed from recent changes do give cause for concern."

Caplen continued: "It is our view that many of the recent changes to the civil costs regime have not necessarily succeeded in making litigation more affordable and accessible to the public. Which was, of course, their primary aim.

"New cost and case management rules, qualified one way costs shifting, damages-based agreements, the changes in respect of referral fees, the end to the recovery of after-the-event insurance premiums - these have all had the effect of reshaping the legal landscape."

He concluded: "Access to justice is a necessary corollary of the rule of law. Without it we are all the poorer. Yes, a great responsibility to do all that can be done to protect and increase access to justice falls upon government. But it also falls upon the general public to recognise and support such issues. And also upon us as lawyers."

Caplen's full speech can be viewed here.