Charities are condemning Law Society of Scotland plans to cut legal aid to people experiencing problems with housing and debt
Proposed changes to Legal Aid will deny justice to some of the most vulnerable people in society, according to a group of charities.
Homeless charity Shelter Scotland has said it has grave concerns about proposals put forward by the Law Society of Scotland to remove some aspects of housing law from Legal Aid cover.
According to the charity, which offers the Shelter Scottish Housing Law Service (SHLS), housing law impacts disproportionately on the most vulnerable families and individuals. Therefore, removing housing from the service that supports the poorest members of society access professional legal advice would deny access to justice to those most in need.
The charity is calling for an urgent rethink of the proposals to ensure protection and justice for all.
Ultimately, what the Law Society hopes to achieve from this proposal is unclear, it could put the most vulnerable at risk and potentially benefit no one – not even the lawyers
Shelter Scotland also claims that instead of saving public money the proposals to remove housing law from Legal Aid is likely to cost the public purse more, not less.
Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “In 21st Century Scotland justice should be afforded to all, not just those who can afford it.
“We have grave concerns about the proposal to remove housing law from the scope of civil legal assistance. In Shelter Scotland’s experience housing law impacts disproportionately on the most vulnerable in society and this proposal would remove protection currently offered to them.”
Brown went on to suggest that any apparent saving from the move would likely be outweighed by the cost of increased homelessness and the impact of poor housing on the health and wellbeing of families and individuals.
The Law Society of Scotland is also proposing that debt, unfair dismissal and workplace discrimination be removed from Legal Aid.
The move has prompted a group six more groups, including Scottish Women’s Aid, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and Govan Law Centre to join Shelter in condemning the proposals.
In a jointly submitted letter to the Law Society of Scotland, the charities stated: “Under these proposals, thousands of people would be excluded from the protection of their rights.
“There could be cases involving evictions, unlawful harassment of tenants, unfair dismissal of workers and workplace discrimination. All of these are serious issues which could require the expertise of, and representation by, a lawyer and yet the [Law Society of Scotland] fails to discuss the potential impact this cut could have on individuals and families.”
The charities point out that the suggestion that people could pay for a lawyer privately by taking out a loan is ludicrous if the problem they require legal help with is debt.
The letter concludes: “Ultimately, what the Law Society hopes to achieve from this proposal is unclear, it could put the most vulnerable at risk and potentially benefit no one – not even the lawyers.”
Other co-signatories of the letter were theLegal Services Agency and the Scottish Association of Law Centres.
