Legal aid cuts: Hackney to be hit hardest

Hackney will be one of the areas to suffer most from the government’s proposed cuts to legal aid, according to a new report.

The government has proposed to make savings of £350 million by removing key areas of civil law from the scope of legal aid funding – clinical negligence, education, housing, debt, employment and welfare. Consequently, an estimated 750,000 to a million people will lose access to free legal advice.

The Legal Action Group’s research shows that Hackney is set to be one of the areas hardest hit by the cuts. With the additional concern of closures of local advice services, there is an added worry that victims of medical negligence, for example, will ultimately be left without a voice to fight their case. Through streamlining and capping of fees within the system, the Law Society believes the government can make savings of £384 million whilst maintaining ordinary people’s access to justice.

The Legal Action Group and the Law Society are continuing to pressure the government on the Legal Aid issue through the Sound Off For Justice campaign. A final decision on the cuts is due to be taken soon.

For further details of the campaign, visit Sound Off For Justice.

More about the Legal Action Group’s research here.