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| Vulnerable 'are denied legal aid' | Vulnerable 'are denied legal aid' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Vulnerable people struggle to get legal aid and planned reforms will make this worse, the Law Society has warned. | Vulnerable people struggle to get legal aid and planned reforms will make this worse, the Law Society has warned. |
| Parents fighting to stop children being taken into care and domestic abuse victims are among those who will be unable to find solicitors, it claims. | Parents fighting to stop children being taken into care and domestic abuse victims are among those who will be unable to find solicitors, it claims. |
| It has launched a campaign 'What Price Justice' backed by 19 groups, including Mind, Shelter and Citizens Advice. | It has launched a campaign 'What Price Justice' backed by 19 groups, including Mind, Shelter and Citizens Advice. |
| Lord Carter Coles, who put forward the reforms for England and Wales, says they will improve legal aid provision. | Lord Carter Coles, who put forward the reforms for England and Wales, says they will improve legal aid provision. |
| The plans would see lawyers bid competitively for all legal aid work, instead of working for set hour fees. | |
| Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said low pay rates already made it impossible for some solicitors to run a practice on legal aid fees. | |
| "Fewer and fewer solicitors are able to undertake that work," he said. "Even fewer solicitors, we fear, may be able to undertake that work under the government plans." | "Fewer and fewer solicitors are able to undertake that work," he said. "Even fewer solicitors, we fear, may be able to undertake that work under the government plans." |
| 'Postcode lottery' | 'Postcode lottery' |
| He said it meant people "in large parts of the country" would find it "very difficult" to find a solicitor for legal aid work. | He said it meant people "in large parts of the country" would find it "very difficult" to find a solicitor for legal aid work. |
| "Getting legal aid advice is a postcode lottery now but these plans could turn it into a national lottery." | "Getting legal aid advice is a postcode lottery now but these plans could turn it into a national lottery." |
| The Law Society said criminal legal aid solicitors last received a pay rise in 2001 and civil legal aid solicitors only received one pay rise in the last five years - 2.5% in 2004. | The Law Society said criminal legal aid solicitors last received a pay rise in 2001 and civil legal aid solicitors only received one pay rise in the last five years - 2.5% in 2004. |
| It said 95% of the 436 civil legal practitioners who responded to its online surveys believed the introduction of fixed fees would mean legal aid work was not viable. | It said 95% of the 436 civil legal practitioners who responded to its online surveys believed the introduction of fixed fees would mean legal aid work was not viable. |
| It has estimated that as many as 800 law practices could close as a result of the Carter Review proposals - equivalent to a quarter of all current providers of legal aid advice. | It has estimated that as many as 800 law practices could close as a result of the Carter Review proposals - equivalent to a quarter of all current providers of legal aid advice. |
| The government's reforms are designed to tackle this shortage, but carry a 5% cut in the £2bn budget. | The government's reforms are designed to tackle this shortage, but carry a 5% cut in the £2bn budget. |
| Lord Carter says his reforms were the most effective way at tackling the problem. He has suggested a "marketisation of legal aid" driven by competition based on quality, capacity and price. | Lord Carter says his reforms were the most effective way at tackling the problem. He has suggested a "marketisation of legal aid" driven by competition based on quality, capacity and price. |
| The Law Society wants the government to invest in stabilising the legal aid sector in advance of any such reforms. | The Law Society wants the government to invest in stabilising the legal aid sector in advance of any such reforms. |
| It says the new business structures proposed "could be made to work" but only with proper investment. | It says the new business structures proposed "could be made to work" but only with proper investment. |