The Law Society Criminal Legal Aid Campaign – how you can help banner

The Law Society Criminal Legal Aid Campaign – how you can help

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In five years’ time, we may no longer have a criminal justice system worthy of the name:

  • the number of criminal legal aid firms has almost halved in the last 15 years
  • duty solicitors are increasingly scarce in some parts of the country
  • only 4% of duty solicitors are under the age of 35

After 25 years of cuts, the government now has the opportunity to invest in our justice system and put it on a sustainable footing.

However, the government’s proposals for criminal legal aid for solicitors are 40% below what the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid identified as the bare minimum needed to start to address the crisis.

A crucial government consultation into its funding closes on 7th June, so time is running out fast.

The Law Society have created a series of videos on social media to explain exactly what is going on – and why it is so important lawyers get involved, no matter their area of specialty.

We’d really appreciate it if you could do two things:

  1. Click on the links belowand like each video post from your own account, then leave a (hopefully positive!) comment under the post, and finally share it from your account so your followers see it
  2. Forward the links by email to your contactsand ask them to do the same.

We really appreciate your help.

SOCIAL POSTS TO SHARE:

  1. Our intro film explaining the big trouble criminal justice is in:
  1. A short ‘day-in-the-life’ film of a duty solicitor fighting a losing battle as the system crumbles around her:
  1. A one-minute film from member Stephen Davies, explaining why no new blood is coming into the profession:
  1. A one-minute film from member Joe Mensah-Dankwah, explaining the impact the government’s proposals will have on ethnic minority communities, both in terms of access to justice and access to the legal profession: