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Dame Helena Kennedy |
‘Crime to axe legal lifeline’
Britain’s top lawyers blast plans for swingeing cuts
BRITAIN’S most influential lawyers have condemned Town Hall plans to cut funding to legal advice centres.
Dame Helena Kennedy QC, Michael Mansfield, QC and renowned human rights solicitor Geoffrey Bindman have called the free legal advice centres “a vital service” for poor people who are often intimidated by high-priced fancy lawyers.
They have called on the Lib Dem/Tory coalition at the Town Hall to drop proposals to cut by 40 per cent grants given to the Camden Law Centre and Citizens Advice Bureaux. The groups claim the plans put their future in doubt.
Geoffrey Bindman, whose firm in Gray’s Inn Road specialise in human rights, established Camden Law Centre in 1973 with Walter Merricks, now a senior government financial ombudsman.
Advice centres receive a total of £1.6 million from council coffers – with the law centre receiving £331,000 of this pot. The plans to cut this budget by nearly half are due to be ratified by the council executive in January.
Mr Bindman, who lives in Highgate, said: “It is a complete tragedy. It is a vital service, used by people who have no means to get access to legal services. They cannot afford private fees, and many private firms are turning away legal aid.
“It is crucial the council executive does not ratify these plans.”
His views were backed by Baroness Helena Kennedy who lives in Belsize Park. She said: “I am a big believer in the role of law centres. It is an incredibly important resource. People are often intimidated in going into solicitors and they often worry about being charged fees for very simple questions. Increasingly there is a feeling that there is a lack of access to justice services – and law centres help this. It is a vital aspect of life in a democracy.”
Michael Mansfield QC, who helped establish a similar centre in Tottenham, believes the centre should be used as a template for a series of similar services across the country. Based on the same principles of the NHS he envisages them offering advice free at the point of access.
He said: “The work they do is becoming more and more vital in a society where the poverty gap is increasing.”
Walter Merricks, who lives in Highgate, was the centre’s first director – and said he was “incredibly proud” of the work they had done over the years. He said: “I am extraordinarily sad about these plans. These types of organisations need stability and the law centre has been very successful over the years.”
Other leading barristers who have voiced concerns include human rights specialist Jennifer Horne-Roberts and Housing and Social welfare specialist Bob Latham.
Lib Dem council leader Keith Moffitt defended the plans, which he said were not yet finalised. He added the money saved from funding the law centre would go towards setting up a Credit Union and putting “sustainability” at the heart of his council’s policies.
He said: “It is reasonable for us to look at changes. There are a lot of voluntary organisations who put the environment at the heart of what they do and it is a central issue and we want to look at providing funding to this area. With these plans, we are testing the temperature of the waters.” |
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