Access denied - new Bar Council report

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has published a report called “Access Denied”, which summarises the wealth of research and expert commentary, including from Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs and Peers, against many of the Bill’s provisions. The report focuses on the areas in which the threat posed to access to justice has promoted the most opposition, including:

• The removal of clinical negligence from the scope of legal aid
• The Bill’s failure to provide sufficient support for victims of domestic violence, and
• The short-sighted removal of legal aid from many areas of welfare law.

Michael Todd QC, Chairman of the Bar Council, said:

“Many Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs and Peers have abandoned party allegiances to propose and support significant amendments to this damaging piece of legislation. As the Bill nears its Report Stage in the House of Lords, unless the Government brings forward many more major amendments, it faces the prospect of serious rebellion within its ranks.”

For a press release and link to the report, see Access denied