Paedophiles And Rapists Will Go Free If Legal Aid Is Cut,

[anotheoldgit]

So the Lawyers are on strike because their legal fees have been cut, is there anyone amongst us who can feel a little sympathy towards them?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10553212/Cuts-to-legal-aid-will-let-paedophiles-and-rapists-walk-free-QC-warns.html

[ToraToraTora]

Zeuhl, I didn't day anything about removing anybody, I was merely pointing out that Lawyers are no different to any other profession in the legal requirement to have one. I'm making no points beyond that.

[FredPuli43]

ymf, not strictly on the point, but divorces are difficult a lot of the time. A situation not helped by the incapacity of the parties to be honest, and by the emotions that the end of a marriage and the concerns about children that divorce brings.

There are few divorce cases where both parties are satisfied at the time.

[Barmaid]

Well Family Legal Aid has also been cut. I have been through a divorce, but we did it ourselves and it cost hardly anything.

On the other hand, my OH's ex has dragged him through the Courts relentlessly on the back of Legal Aid so I have some sympathy with YMF - she got Public Funding. He (ie me) is still paying off those debts. (THe irony being that I wait 4 years to receive a fee from the LSC to then apply it to his debts fighting someone funded by the LSC).

I, for one, am relieved that she will no longer be able to get Public Legal Funding for her petty complaints. Consequently, I will not have to spend days at a time dealing with her nonsense and that knocked out by her solicitors and then kicking them into touch on the day of the case. However, that is quite quite different to someone needing a criminal defence lawyer. How ironic that only the successful criminals will be able to pay for the best defence!

The other side of the coin is that Civil Legal Aid is almost impossible to come by now. Consequently, there are deserving cases that will never see the light of day, were it not for the fact that some lawyers will act pro bono for people. (And by that, I do not mean "no win, no fee", I mean FOR FREE).

[Zeuhl]

T3

Fair enough;

I just thought you were implying that defendants should go up against legally trained prosecutors without any legal representation themselves.

And as BM points out, a lot of prosecutors gain experience acting for defendants.