Legal aid
Refugee Council response to “Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales”[February 2011]
On the 15th November 2010 the Ministry of Justice published a Consultation on proposed reforms of the legal aid scheme. The Green Paper can be viewed here.
The Refugee Council has sent in a response which can be downloaded below.
The Refugee Council believes that the Green Paper severely underestimates the impact these changes will have on the wider community and will remove a safety net which is crucial in providing access to justice for the most vulnerable members of the community. In the long run the costs will be greater.
We have five major areas of concern regarding these proposals. These are:
i) The proposal that asylum support will be out of scope and no longer eligible for legal aid.
ii) The classification of family reunion for refugees as an immigration rather than an asylum matter, hence taking it out of scope.
iii) That advice on asylum matters will be initially by telephone and it will rest with a specialist adviser to determine whether a face to face interview is necessary.
iv) Issues particularly affecting or specific to children.
v) Issues particularly affecting or specific to women experiencing domestic violence or who have been trafficked.
Contact Richard Lumley at:richard.lumley@refugeecouncil.org.uk or telephone 020 7346 1169.
