LEGAL AID CUTS

The proposed cuts of 92% to the Not for Profit Sector will devastate Law Centres and CABS and leave half a million, often vulnerable people without access to legal representation. Advice funded by legal aid will be cut entirely to welfare benefits and education law. It will be restricted to housing and debt cases with an “immediate risk” of homelessness, and employment cases involving discrimination. Much legal aided family law will be limited to domestic violence.Legal aid cuts will affect funding for immigration applications and appeals based on rights to family and private life under Article 8 of the European Court of Human Rights Act. The result will split families and deny access to funding to fight removal and deportation to those who have developed roots and formed loving relationships in their communities. Advice to people who have been granted refugee status to help them find jobs and training will also end. The proposed cuts will not only violate the human rights of extremely vulnerable people, they may result in the end of community advice services and the best, most experienced legal aid practitioners leaving the legal aid system because they are no longer adequately funded.

LEGAL AID CUT

The proposed cuts of 92% to the Not for Profit Sector will devastate Law Centres and CABS and leave half a million, often vulnerable people without access to legal representation. Advice funded by legal aid will be cut entirely to welfare benefits and education law. It will be restricted to housing and debt cases with an “immediate risk” of homelessness, and employment cases involving discrimination. Much legal aided family law will be limited to domestic violence.Legal aid cuts will affect funding for immigration applications and appeals based on rights to family and private life under Article 8 of the European Court of Human Rights Act. The result will split families and deny access to funding to fight removal and deportation to those who have developed roots and formed loving relationships in their communities. Advice to people who have been granted refugee status to help them find jobs and training will also end. The proposed cuts will not only violate the human rights of extremely vulnerable people, they may result in the end of community advice services and the best, most experienced legal aid practitioners leaving the legal aid system because they are no longer adequately funded.

Urgent meeting about government proposal cut of the legal aid

NETWORK FOR JUSTICE
supported by: Dover Detainee Visitor Group, Kent Law Clinic University of Kent, , Kent Refugee Help and others

IMPORTANT PUBLIC MEETING, SATURDAY JANUARY 22nd CANTERBURY-PLEASE SUPPORT

Plus information on a national campaign against the cuts.

Defend Legal Aid- Oppose the devastating cuts proposed by the Government

 Government proposals to cut legal aid will mean that up to half a million often vulnerable people will lose support through legal aid.
At a specially convened parliamentary debate in response to the Ministry of Justice's Green Paper on legal aid reform MPs reported that
a 92% cut in legal aid funding for the not-for profit sector will devastate Law centres and CABS and other community advice agencies
who help the very poorest and are already facing cuts to their service provision from local authorities. Organizations in Kent supporting refugees
and migrants are particularly concerned about proposals to cut funding for immigration applications and appeals based on rights to family and private life under Article 8 of the European Court of Human Rights. The result is that those who have formed roots in their communities despite insecure status will have no access to funding to fight removal and deportation. Additional cuts will deny legal aid for asylum support cases- applications for housing and subsistence, increasing poverty and destitution.  These proposed cuts will not only violate human rights of extremely vulnerable people, they may
also drive the best and most caring and experienced legal aid practitioners to leave the legal aid system because they are no longer adequately funded.

A public meeting to raise awareness and oppose the cuts has been organized by Network for Justice, a coalition of concerned organizations in Kent working with refugees and migrants. Please support, justice for all of us is at stake.

Date: Saturday January 22nd

Time: 2 pm

Venue:
           Canterbury Baptist Church Hall
            St Georges Place
            Canterbury
            CT1P 1UT
         
The church is central to Canterbury , a turning off St Georges Roundabout
           Parking on Ivy Street off St Georges Roundabout

 Speakers:
           Chair John Fitzpatrick, Kent Law Clinic, The University of Kent
            Alison Harvey, Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA)
           Frances Pilling, Bail For Immigration Detainees
           A former immigration detainee
 
           Light refreshments will be served

For more information please contact: Kate Adams email: kadams314@hotmail.com mobile: 07826395433


Note also: Parliamentary lobby and launch Wednesday 12th January- Justice for All
                 a coalition of legal and advice agencies, politicians, trade unions, community groups and members of the public
                 opposing funding threats to community legal advice.
                  Lobby your MP 2pm
                Launch reception 3.30pm -5pm
                 http://www.justice-for-all.org.uk/