UK Law Articles
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Lord Chancellor's Department
Press Notice
2 November 1998
A COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE, BRINGING JUSTICE TO THE PEOPLE
"We need a service that meets people's needs, rather than a system
which only meets a fraction of the needs of a fraction of the
population."
The Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine tonight unveiled details of the
Government's plans to honour its manifesto pledge to establish a
Community Legal Service.
"Our core vision is of a network of quality providers of legal
services, supported by co-ordinated funding, delivering services to
local communities."
The Lord Chancellor emphasised that developing a new service would
entail a fundamental change in the way legal advice and services are
organised and delivered - the needs of socially disadvantaged people
would be at the heart of the new service.
Lord Irvine commented that at present people were uncertain where to
go for advice:
"It is not surprising that that people are confused about where to
turn for help. They do not know what help is already available - what
they can get, or what to expect. People fear the very idea of lawyers
and the legal processes. I have been repeatedly told that many
clients seen by the CAB need detailed legal advice but would be too
afraid to go anywhere near a lawyer's office. The law is seen as
overly intellectual, complex - and potentially hugely expensive,
something with which most people simply do not want to become
involved. But, without knowledge of where to go, people are dis-empowered."
The Lord Chancellor rejected the idea that the legal aid system was a
panacea for the plethora of modern day legal welfare demands:
"The individual seeking to enforce his or her rights against the most
powerful institutions receives little or no help from the State to do
so. The provision of legal aid can look like an unjust lottery to
those who need it most."
The Government was therefore committed to developing a Community
Legal Service by supporting grass roots initiatives, and putting in
extra resources and developing mechanisms to deliver a coherent and
better co-ordinated service.
Although the Lord Chancellor acknowledged that lawyers were
"by definition a fundamental part of the process", there were other
advice agencies with much to offer. He paid tribute to the
"unsung heroes - countless lawyers, advice workers and volunteers".
Lord Irvine rejected the notion of a "National Legal Service" as too
lawyer-oriented and bureaucratic. What people needed and wanted was
a wider vision of legal advice services.
To harness existing services and develop new ones, the Lord
Chancellor pointed to a broader role for the Legal Aid Board. The
Board's Regional Legal Services Committees were ideally placed to
assess local needs and priorities, and then match these by services
tailored to match them.
"I want to see national government looking outwards, establishing
Partnerships with local authorities and others who support legal
advice in the community. The Legal Aid Board, and those organisations
working in the field, and those who fund them, will be working
together to assess the local community's needs and to plan how best
they can be met.
"We want to offer practical guidance and support to these
Partnerships. We propose to establish Pioneer areas to do this.
Pioneers will lead by example. They can test and evaluate different
approaches to meeting the needs of the community. The experiences
gained from this process can be shared with other Partnerships,
reducing the risks, increasing efficiency. Pioneers will also be able
to test the benefit of forming links to other Government initiatives
with a strong community element, such as Health Action Zones.
"We intend to list the first Pioneer areas in a consultation paper on
the Community Legal Service proposals, due to be published early next
year."
The Lord Chancellor also addressed the other challenge posed by the
existing fragmented system - achieving quality standards across the
country. The Government would, he said, introduce a system of Kitemarks:
"These will offer a common set of core criteria, available for
funders and service providers in every part of the country. To be
effective, they will need to be both understood and accepted by those
they are intended to help.
"We will therefore seek to set up a Task Force of relevant bodies,
including the advice sector. The New Year consultation paper will
invite interested parties contribute their views to the Task Force at
the earliest possible stage."
The Lord Chancellor also signalled the role new technology could play
in raising and equalising standards of service.
"We will also consider innovative ways of delivering advice and
assistance, by increased and better use of information technology.
The Internet will soon be an immensely important way of getting
access to information."
He stressed the importance of education in legal rights and
responsibilities, and his intention to encourage all those with an
educational role to include this in their programmes.
Lord Irvine was under no illusions as to the size of the challenge
ahead - "this is the beginning of a long process" he warned. Yet
there was cause for optimism, that the vision would become a reality.
He concluded by saying:
"We will ensure that a comprehensive network of advice points is
developed across England and Wales. They will deliver legal advice,
and representation where appropriate, to the disadvantaged and the
socially excluded, in the areas of law which most directly affect
their everyday lives. This Government is pledged to defend the basic
rights of every person in this country. Our vision for a
comprehensive Community Legal Services is a cornerstone of that
promise."
Notes to Editor
1. The Lord Chancellor was speaking to Holborn Law Society at the
Mary Ward Centre. In July 1996 Lord Irvine spoke at the official
opening of the premises. The promise of a community legal service
was in the Governments Manifesto
2. On 19 October this year the Lord Chancellor announced that £20m
was being ring-fenced in next year's legal aid budget for advice and
assistance to not-for-profit advice agencies. This measure will help
to begin the development process for advice agencies taking their
place as equal partners in a Community Legal Service.
