House of Lords votes against legal aid changes - Turn2us

The House of Lords has voted against several changes that the Government planned to make to the legal aid system. 

Peers backed amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, to ensure:

• the protection of victims of domestic violence from funding cuts
• that people should have access to legal services that effectively meet their needs - within the context of the resources available
• that the terms for appointing a Director of Legal Aid Casework should be spelt out in the legislation. The Government says that he or she will be a civil servant but peers stressed that the post's independence should be spelt out to prevent any ministerial interference.

The Government wants to save £350 by limited the availability of legal aid. However many opponents have argued that these cuts damage people's rights and will affect the most vulnerable people in UK society.

For more information on legal aid, see the Legal Services Commission website (link opens in a new window)

Source: BBC News article (link opens in a new window) and Guardian news article (link opens in a new window)