"Labour would ‘rebalance’ justice system and legal aidThursday 03 May 2012 by Catherine Baksi
Labour will not yet commit to reversing specific changes contained in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, the shadow justice minister said this week.
However, Andrew Slaughter MP promised a future Labour government would ‘rebalance the justice system’ in favour of those seeking civil redress. It would also make more savings from criminal legal aid. On the day the bill received royal assent, Slaughter told the Gazette that legal aid cuts and the Jackson reforms ‘restrict access to justice and tip the scales in favour of big business and the state’.
The challenge for a future Labour government will be to ‘rebalance the justice system so that it can be seen to give access to justice to all… irrespective of their means’.
‘We want to put in place a system that benefits those who have been hurt by these reforms and puts the onus more on those who can afford it to bear the burden,’ said Slaughter. ........................."
