On 25th
September 2014 there will be a strange and scary site in the city of Liverpool as a few
hundred lawyers and judges take to the streets!
However we
will not be protesting (much), and we certainly will not be looking for
ambulances to chase. This is in fact the day of the 2014 Liverpool Legal Walk. Never
in all of my 30 odd years in the law has there been a greater need for free
legal advice and help for those in need.
I once
described Access to Justice in this country as a Waste Land.
That, if anything, was an understatement.
Legal Aid was
virtually wiped out in 2013. This particularly affected those who could least afford
to pay for legal advice. Advice agencies and the courts are struggling to meet
the demand.
In the
meantime there lawyers and other advisers, across the country who are doing their best to give
what help they can. This includes Citizens Advice Bureaux, Law Centres and even
Legal Clinics at Universities manned by students. Most of these agencies are
having to turn many deserving clients away as they simply do not have the
resources.
One of the
first blogs that I ever posted concerned the dismantling of justice for
ordinary people –
The
situation now is far worse.
This is a
shocking indictment on our society. There is no point in having a justice
system if it is only available to the wealthy. There is no point in ordinary
people having rights if they cannot do anything about it. I could rant on all
day. It might, one day, make a difference.
In the
meantime what I can do is drag myself around the city and try and raise some
much needed support for these beleaguered agencies.
So I make
no apology for using this blog to ask readers to click the link below and make
a donation!
www.eadsolicitors.co.uk
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