Wednesday, 24 June 2015

A third of our courts and tribunals are used less than 50% of the time

Michael Gove, Justice Secretary, speaking about court estate remarked “a third of our courts and tribunals are used less than 50% of the time”
 Hansard extract Column 745 – 22 06 15 http://bit.ly/1KcktKR


On the one hand Mr Gove’s assertion is great news - more court rooms can be closed to save money for the tax payer but – on the other hand do the likes of Weatherspoons really need more of these buildings to convert into pubs?  And does this statistic not bring one to an obvious conclusion that courts are under- used because citizens can no longer afford to protect their legal rights?

This theme was picked up by an opposition MP who pointed out that cuts to legal aid have meant that lots of constituents were “finding it even more difficult to access justice, and often they are the most vulnerable constituents”,  before enquiring what Mr G “ was going to do to make sure that those individuals get access to justice?”

While the Justice Secretary  explained that the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 was going to be reviewed and we all look forward to that,  we will leave you with our founding principle….. “All citizens should be able to afford to assert their legal rights not just those who can afford to do so”   Heinrich Fassbender, Founder of ARAG Dusseldorf 1935. 

Make sure your clients tick-in to legal expenses!

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