Austin Mitchell
Proposed Community Legal Service
The government's proposed Community Legal Service hassucceeded only in creating doubt about the future of legal services. Legalaid is on the way out but nothing is going to replace it which will give thepeople the service they need. Contracting and franchising are squeezing outexcellent legal service providers. There's nothing much to replace them.
We should enact a basic right to legal services. Where housing, health,employment are concerned and in all the vital areas, which touch everycitizen, the people should know that they can readily obtain the advice theyneed to enforce their rights.
The government's scheme is set out with gimmicks, new logos new internetwebsites, new assurances, but no guarantees. And no new money. It is acrying shame that the anticipated savings to be made from going toconditional fees have not been used to create a national network of lawcentres.
"We expected more" says CNLS Chair Austin Mitchell. "We have beenshortchanged. The move towards new ways of delivering legal services iswelcome, but cannot replace across the desk, face to face advice. We needto rethink the structure within which publicly funded services are provided.Putting the lawyers on half-rations and giving them kite-marks is not theright way forward. We must support and boost the law centres immediately."
