APG on legal aid: crime

The first meeting of the All Party Group on Legal Aid for 2015 will take place on Tuesday 13 January. More details are here.

 

We would be very grateful if you could email your MP to ask them to attend. You can find some text for a draft email below, but please amend it to give your personal views. You can copy this into a message via this site which also will tell you who your MP is if you enter address details: https://www.writetothem.com 

 

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Dear [NAME OF MP]

 

I am writing to ask you to attend an event in Parliament this week.

 

The next breakfast meeting of the All Party Group on Legal Aid will take place on Tuesday 13th January 2015  between 8.30-10.00 am in the Jubilee Room, House of Commons. I know you are very busy, so if you had time to drop in for any of the session I would be very grateful.

 

The meeting will focus on recent, significant developments in relation to the future of criminal legal aid.

 

On the 27th November 2014, the Ministry of Justice announced that it would proceed with plans for a two-tier system for criminal defence services and a further 8.75% cut in fees. Practitioner groups have expressed serious concerns about the sustainability and fairness of the proposals and their impact on access to justice. On the 23rd December 2014, in response to an application for judicial review, the High Court made an order “suspending” the current tendering process in relation to criminal legal aid. The full hearing will take place in the High Court on 15th and 16th January.

 

This APG meeting will give Parliamentarians the opportunity to find out more about the Ministry of Justice’s plans and the alternative proposals that have been made. Confirmed speakers include Andy Slaughter MP, Andrew Caplen, President of the Law Society and Bill Waddington, Chair of the Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association.

 

The future and quality of our justice system is very important to me so I hope that you will be able to attend. 

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this email.

 

Yours sincerely

 

[NAME AND ADDRESS]