Legal aid denial

Figures released by charity Domestic Violence Assist have shown thousands of domestic abuse victims are being denied legal aid every year. Law Society president, I. Stephanie Boyce, described the figures as “alarming”. She said: “It is a sad state of affairs that victims should be left to navigate the justice system and face their abusers on their own”. She urged the government to address the situation as part of its legal aid means test review. Boyce said lockdowns “shone a spotlight” on “a desperate situation”.