Legal services 'necessary' despite council job cuts

Legal services have been deemed essential by Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire, which has recruited four new lawyers despite widespread redundancies in other departments.

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner reports a review of the local authority showed the extra support was necessary, as Council leader Councillor Janet Battye commented: “It’s important that we get started on implementing the findings of this review by filling the vacant legal assistants’ posts which we especially need at this time.”

Increased demand for legal services could be as a result of personal injury cases, or may be due to wrongful dismissal claims from ex-employees aggrieved at losing their jobs.

Supporters of the recruitment say the extra bodies will support the department's existing 20 members of staff, but opposition figures accuse them of 'insensitivity' at a time when almost one-in-six of existing personnel are to relinquish their posts due to reductions in public sector spending.

A consultation with more than 2,000 local residents examined how people want the 2011/12 budget to be structured and job cuts may have been one of the issues discussed.

Published by Jessica Shervin