The problem with politicians is that they seem to have forgotten how to listen.
The last week has seen two cases in the news where very vulnerable parents have not had Legal Aid much to the dismay of the judges trying to act fairly towards them. The cases are not trivial or frivolous - they involve the removal of children from parents.
In the first case Mr Justice Munby, one of the most senior judges in the country, has adjourned the case so that it can be decided who should pick up the responsibility for payment of the legal expenses. It is often suggested that justice delayed is justice denied but clearly here a delay is preferable to no justice at all. The case is a shocking indictment of the Tory led reforms of the Legal Aid system. However for those who thought that a change of government at the General Election would be part of the answer, this is clearly not going to happen.
When asked to respond the Labour Shadow Justice Minister, Andy Slaughter, could not provide any reassurance, saying:
“This is an extraordinary intervention from one of Britain’s leading judges. We have the president of the family division highlighting eloquently just how bad things have become as David Cameron’s cuts have led to chaos in the courts”
What of course is missing is any sort of promise to sort things out if Labour are ever returned to Government.
So when I read the second case, which was again a complete failure of the system to help a vulnerable parent to put a case in respect of the removal of a child, I was not entirely surprised by the response from Sadiq Khan, the Shadow Justice Secretary.
He said:
“This is a damning attack by a senior judge on the havoc wreaked in our courts by the government’s ruthless attacks on access to justice. It’s shocking that someone so vulnerable has been left all at sea in a very complex legal setting.
What hope is there for justice being achieved if one of the parties is so unfairly disadvantaged in this way? There needs to now be an urgent review of the impact of the government’s legal aid cuts. People’s confidence in our justice system is being undermined as it becomes the preserve of the rich.”
He is suggesting a review when what we really need is a commitment to reform.
We cannot afford to standby and do nothing - now is the time to raise these issues with our MPs, to write letters of protest. Even the notoriously establishment minded judiciary are up in arms - what about us? We must make sure that our politicians listen.
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