Government's proposed changes to legal aid threaten children’s access to justice - letter to The Daily Telegraph
Twenty seven organisations, including BID, have written to the Daily Telegraph to outline the harm which further cuts to legal aid would cause to children and young people.
The signatories to the letter are The Children’s Society, Action for Children, Barnardo’s, National Children’s Bureau, Children England, Shelter, Voice, Kids Company, Young Minds, Standing Committee for Youth Justice, Just for Kids Law, Youth Access, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, The Howard League for Penal Reform, Asylum Aid, Bail of Immigration Detainees, JustRights, Coram Children’s Legal Centre, Freedom From Torture, ECPAT UK, Children’s Rights Alliance for England, Law Centres Network, Praxis Community Projects, Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA), Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile, Child Poverty Action Group, and The Who Cares? Trust.
The letter says
"The Government’s proposed changes to legal aid threaten children’s access to justice and put their protection, safety and wellbeing at risk. As representatives of organisations working for children’s welfare, every day we see how critical the support from legal aid is for protecting children’s rights. We are shocked by the range of proposed restrictions.
Introducing a residence test for civil legal aid and plans to restrict legal aid for judicial review and prison law would leave thousands of children unable to challenge unfair and inhumane treatment, including unlawful treatment by public authorities.
In the most serious cases, such as care proceedings, clinical negligence or cases where children are at risk of homelessness or detention, children will be left without access to legal support. Even some victims of child trafficking and exploitation will be cut off from legal assistance, leaving them unable to challenge damaging decisions.
We urge the Government to acknowledge the harm these changes would cause both to children and to the integrity of our legal system, and abandon these proposals".
