Bishop Michael, bishop of Gloucester, has written in the Citizen this week of his concerns over the cuts to legal aid and how they will affect the county. Responding to a meeting he had with the Gloucester Law Centre he states, "Without access to legal advice for people on low incomes, we shall no longer have equality before the law – surely a central plank of our democracy? In effect, it will become one law for the rich and another for the poor."
The cuts in legal aid will mean more people with low income will be unable to access the same legal rights as wealthier people. This means that if someone has been left with a life-changing injury because of the negligence of a corporation they will only be able to try and get compensation - money to help them lead as normal a life as possible - if they can afford to go to court.
Bishop Michael points out that the false-economy behind these savage and discriminating cuts that take no account of the huge savings to the public purse they represent. He writes, "For every £1 spent in legal aid at a Law Centre, £10 of value is created in savings and additional benefits. If legal problems are not resolved, other public services like the NHS, local authorities and the courts will have to pick up the pieces – at a higher cost to the taxpayer."
So the tax payer loses out, the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society lose out, but the big business that backed our government into power will gain in millions of pounds worth of un-redressed compensation.
The cuts in legal aid will mean more people with low income will be unable to access the same legal rights as wealthier people. This means that if someone has been left with a life-changing injury because of the negligence of a corporation they will only be able to try and get compensation - money to help them lead as normal a life as possible - if they can afford to go to court.
Bishop Michael points out that the false-economy behind these savage and discriminating cuts that take no account of the huge savings to the public purse they represent. He writes, "For every £1 spent in legal aid at a Law Centre, £10 of value is created in savings and additional benefits. If legal problems are not resolved, other public services like the NHS, local authorities and the courts will have to pick up the pieces – at a higher cost to the taxpayer."
So the tax payer loses out, the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society lose out, but the big business that backed our government into power will gain in millions of pounds worth of un-redressed compensation.
As often seems to be the case these days, David Cameron's words, "We're all in this together" are ringing hollow: Some of us are more in it than others.
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