Importance Of Legal Aid In Uk

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Importance & introduction to legal aid in UK : Legal aid forms a quintessential part of the democratic process for dispensing and administrating justice. Labeled as one of the most expensive governmental aids (around the world), the legal aid in the UK is a £2bn colossal industry. But recently, the budget has taken a toll on this system, with imposition of numerous cuts. True, the legal aid cuts are severing a lifeline for many poor families, but how? For that we need to analyze the importance of it and what exactly was the role it had been playing ever since. Along with the analysis to the future impacts of these alleged cuts. How do you expect a poor man who got in a tussle with a large party and is looking for legal aid to fight up …show more content…

the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act of 2013 had put up its valid arguments to make the legal aid cuts. The act was the upshot of some failed attempted to implement the cuts made in the years 2004, 2007 and 2010 respectively. Imposing a certain fees for various types of cases, these aforesaid cuts did less of some good and rather led to the withdrawal of many legal aid providers from imperative legal aid services for the complex matters of asylum and immigration. Just like two sides to a coin, everything has its pros and cons. Legal aid cuts follow the same. The debate here stands between the pro-cut brigade and the legal aid lawyers. While the pro-cut brigade, with support from scare-stories from the press points to barristers with a six figure salary, the legal aid lawyers are stressing on a different story overall. With a valid argument that the cuts will affect the average salary of £25,000 of a legal aid lawyer, the Justice Secretary has finally taken (or rather was influenced to) a U-turn on his harsh obligation allowing the clients to choose a solicitor of their …show more content…

• Now this mass-absence of the rightful lawyers ultimately has added to the agony of numerous defendants or pleaders who stand unrepresented. • Reports of unrepresented defendants has been rising, and this, as per the observations has resulted in more full-time trials and almost no defenders pleading guilty due to lack of properly legal aid. • If major legal-aid funded law firms withdraw or lose it to the ‘cut’, it has been supposed that the quality of the representation is sure to fall. While the CLSA (Criminal Law Solicitors Association) has also showed a severe concern over the matter, it states that this has not only affected the defenders, but the prosecution as well as the court most importantly. Justice is a fundamental right and irrespective of the costs it demands, it should be granted to the needy. As Albert Einstein had put it- “ In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people, are all the

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