Free legal advice is being encouraged by the Law Society.
In a rather contradictory battle cry, the president of the Law Society has launched an access to justice campaign.
Despite the legal profession and court users seeing legal aid decimated and many people being unable to afford to take legal action, the Law Society is calling for changes.
The president of the Law Society is calling for a “fully accessible and affordable legal system”. Our view is that the horse has already bolted. It will take quite some effort to redress the balance.
It is expected that solicitors will be encouraged to give free legal advice advice (pro-bono). Is it fair for the government to pull the rug from under litigants and to then try to get private practice to solve the lack of support for free? Larger firms may have the resources to provide this kind of support but can smaller local firms? Probably not.
Will the legal profession help those unable to afford legal advice? If not the courts and Judges will have to deal with more and more people trying to deal with court work themselves without help.
