Justice secretary Ken Clarke and minister Jonathan Djanogly are to consider a ban on referral fees, it emerged during the second reading of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill in the House of Commons this afternoon.
Despite more than 5,000 responses to the government's consultation, the legal aid bill offers few concessions. If enacted, it could deprive nearly 70 per cent of people currently eligible for legal aid of access to justice. According to the figures collated by the Legal Action Group, Liverpool, one of Britain's most deprived areas, is set to lose 80 per cent of its casework.
The Sound Off For Justice campaign failed to have an impact on either the public or the government – let's hope it comes back bigger and louder, says Russell Conway
Introducing the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill in the Commons this afternoon, justice secretary Ken Clarke highlighted a series of minor changes the government is making to its drastic legal aid cuts.
The government is making few concessions on its legal aid cuts and implementation of the Jackson reforms, an advance copy of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill seen by Solicitors Journal has indicated.