Reform Criminal Aid Response Legal Wales
Legal Wales response to the Ministry of Justice proposals to reform criminal legal aid
The Board of the Legal Wales Foundation has responded to the Ministry of Justice consultation document “Transforming legal aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system” expressing concern at the proposal to remove the element of choice between legal aid solicitors and to reduce the number of criminal legal aid providers in Wales by 80%.
In the view of the Board these changes would:
- undermine the rights of defendants,
- damage the administration of justice, and
- make it impossible to provide criminal legal services through the medium of the Welsh language.