Legal services news: Justice bill 'fatally flawed'

Those interested in legal services matters have been told of the opinion one expert in the area possesses about the government's justice bill.

Linda Lee, president of the law society, wrote for the New Statesman that she believes the bill will serve to stop people getting access to civil justice, cost taxpayers more and will increase crime.

Ms Lee said that civilised societies offer people a right to legal services, which is now being threatened in Britain due to planned cuts to the legal aid budget.

She said: "Ordinary people - including society's most vulnerable - will be denied their right to legal representation unless they are rich enough to afford it. This is a devastating blow and has manifold implications for all parts of society."

Labour's justice spokesman, Lord Bach, has also added his voice to the legal aid debate, saying that, asking what purpose a legal aid system would serve if it did not care for the poor.

Published by Hannah Carr