In a recent article in the Stockport Express, Councillor Suzanne Wyatt warned that Stockport Law Centre could face closure if Lord Carter’s proposals for the reform of Civil Legal Aid go ahead.

This is a Government measure to save money. Legal Aid costs the Government in the region of £2billion per year and this figure is rising. But why is it rising? Are the Law Centres and Advice Agencies charging the government more money? No. In fact the hourly rate which is paid to Law Centres has not risen since 2001. However, the introduction of around 3000 new types of criminal offence since 1997 and a raft of new procedures in the civil courts has meant that more people than ever are in need of legal advice.

Stockport Law Centre offers free legal advice and representation in three key areas:- employment, debt and housing. Amy Taylor, the Law Centre’s spokesperson said “In the last twelve months, Stockport Law Centre has advised clients in Stockport on 1,285 matters of debt, housing and employment – that’s 25 per week. In the last 2 months alone, the Law Centre has managed to clear over £191,000 worth of debt and secured financial settlements of £11,725 for our clients.” She added that these clients are residents of Stockport who are very often the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in society; people living in poverty or suffering from long-term mental or physical ill health.

It is clear that the residents of Stockport need a Law Centre.

Why are the proposed reforms such bad news for Stockport Law Centre, and indeed all Law Centres nationwide? Amy explained, “The government would like to deal with the not-for-profit sector in the same way it deals with profit-making private solicitors who hold Legal Aid contracts. For the Law Centre, this means payment per case, rather than per hour of work done. To put this into context, the government will pay the Law Centre a fixed amount of money regardless of how long the case actually takes. They want Law Centres to spend less time helping clients while increasing the numbers of clients seen. While this will undoubtedly lead to cherry-picking in the private sector, i.e. solicitors taking on only the most straight-forward, simple cases and relying more on their profit-making clients to keep them afloat, the Law Centre will not have this luxury.“

The Law Centre also receives some funding from Stockport Council. This is to enable them to see clients who fall outside the eligibility criteria for Legal Aid, but who are often only deemed too well off because they have some equity in their home. Would you be prepared to sell your house just to have access to justice?

What Can Be Done?
This is not just Stockport Law Centre’s fight. Indeed, the opposition to the reforms include the Law Society, Citizens Advice Bureaux, the NSPCC, the Law Centres Federation, Shelter, the Child Poverty Action Group and MIND, to name but a few. Campaigns are underway, such as What Price Justice? spearheaded by the Law Society.

“While the heavyweights are doing battle,” said Amy, “the person on the street can make a difference by signing the 10 Downing Street petition online at  http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/scrap-carter/ requesting that the Prime Minister scraps Lord Carter’s proposals. You can also write to your MP to voice your concerns. If enough people do it, we cannot be ignored.” (A template letter is available on the www.whatpricejustice.lawsociety.org.uk website).

The reforms are set to be implemented in April, but much of the change – thanks to lobbying of the above-mentioned groups and others – will now take place in October. Amy and her colleagues think this is the point where the future begins to look uncertain for Stockport Law Centre. In Councillor Wyatt’s article, there was mention of the prospect of other advice agencies stepping in to continue the provision of free legal help should the Law Centre close. Said Amy, “The reforms, if they go ahead, will create just the same problems for them; not to mention a significant increase in pressure on these agencies to see yet more clients with resources already strained. More crowded waiting rooms. More helplines permanently engaged. More vulnerable and disadvantaged people being denied proper legal advice and representation. This is the future unless we act now.”