The Bar Council has responded to the Lord Chancellor’s announcement of a post-legislative review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) 2012.
Chair of the Bar Andrew Landon QC said: “This long-awaited review offers the Government an important opportunity to take stock of the damage caused by the unprecedented cuts to legal aid that LASPO introduced and to reassess the value of justice to citizens. This review comes not a moment too soon; society has become increasingly aware of the importance of access to justice in underpinning the rule of law and our democratic constitutional arrangements.
“The announcement follows several years of sustained pressure from the Bar Council and many other organisations who work to promote the public interest of our citizens.
“The Bar Council looks forward to engaging constructively with this review and will continue to press for a wide scope which includes the impact of LASPO on society and considers the combined and interactive effect of legal aid cuts with welfare and other civil justice reforms.”
(Source: Bar Council)
