Legal aid changed (From The Northern Echo)

Legal aid changed

9:47am Thursday 15th May 2008 in Letters

A RECENT court ruling highlighted the disaster caused by the Government's changes to the legal aid system, which mean many people are unable to receive proper legal representation for criminal or family matters.

Unbelievably, a man jailed for drugs offences has been allowed to keep £4.5m after being unable to find a barrister to represent him.

The criminal's assets were frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, meaning he could not get access to his money and had to apply for legal aid to pay for a barrister.

As the Government has cut back on the legal aid system viciously over recent years, not one barrister was prepared to accept the instruction at legal aid pay rates.

Judge David Mole, QC, granted the man's appeal for the confiscation order over his assets to be set aside on the grounds that, without representation, he was unable to face a fair trial.

It is not the fault of the barristers, who cannot be expected to take on hugely complex cases for little in the way of financial reward. Blame lies firmly with the Government. Why is it that everything it touches seems to fall to pieces?

James Wharton, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Stockton South.