Even if you aren’t interested in law it would have been near on impossible to have not seen the news stories surrounding legal aid cuts over the last year or so, and it isn’t just a matter of cutting legal aid and the implications it has on those seeking it, but also ensuring that solicitors and barristers are paid for the work they have undertaken.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on legal aid and who should and should not be in receipt of it, but many people wouldn’t work continuously for nothing in any field, and like many other jobs, barristers and solicitors already put in many extra hours (which they don’t charge for) and it is unrealistic to expect them to work Pro Bono all the time.
So the Criminal Law Solicitors Association http://www.clsa.co.uk and the London Solicitors Criminal Courts Association https://www.lccsa.org.uk are just two associations that are working tirelessly to work through what is happening with Legal Aid as well as other topics involving Judicial Review etc. More info can be found on their sites. It is important to note that other people are also working tirelessly on the legal aid debate.
If any of you have social media (both twitter and Facebook) you may well have seen the hashtag #auction4justice or seen the Facebook page Raising Judicial Review Funds (if you type this in it will take you to the page which you can request to join!).
Anyone can bid on the auction that is running (not just those involved in the law) and there are some great auction prizes available, including weeks away abroad, an apartment in London for the weekend, Lunch at the houses of Parliament, and also getting to meet and spend time with various members of the legal profession. There is also the chance to go on set of the next series of The Syndicate and possibly be an extra!
I would highly recommend that you check it out – even just to see what is on offer.
Rebecca x