MOJ annoucements on cuts to criminal legal aid

The Minsistry of Justice has today announced its response to the criminal legal aid consultation and its plans to make cuts to police station and Magistrates’ Court fees. The Minsitry has also issued a new consultation proposing further cuts of up to £50 million from the criminal budget. For full details click here.

YLAL is concerned that these cuts will result in miscarriages of justice and an unacceptably poor service for the poor. The National Audit Office has recently reported that many firms are not making sufficient profits from legal aid to survive: further cuts could see the end of quality independent legal advice for criminal matters with all sorts of unintended consequences.

According to CrimeLine, Law Society President Robert Heslett responded:

“Given the NAO’s findings on profitability, it is difficult to understand where the Ministry of Justice thinks there is margin for firms to absorb further cuts to their fees. The determination recklessly to proceed with these cuts entirely vindicates the NAO’s comments about the Ministry’s lack of understanding of its suppliers. A number of the biggest and best known firms in London have already given up routine criminal defence work, and these latest cuts can only accelerate that trend," he said.

“It is difficult to understand how a Government that can find £130 billion to bail out banks cannot find one five thousandth of that sum to maintain a vital service that protects the rights of all our citizens. These cuts will have a devastating effect on justice."