Legal News – The Ministry of Justice has announced that it will make a £30 million investment into housing and immigration legal aid, which represents the first increase in funding in nearly 30 years.
The lady chief justice, Baroness Carr had given evidence to the Justice Select Committee on Tuesday 26 November, updating the committee on the state of the courts and efforts to improve judicial diversity.
Prison overcrowding and prisoner early release has been in the headlines recently and Baroness Carr highlighted the need to increases funding for the justice system.
However, often overlooked in the face of the criminal justice system is that of the civil justice system and access to legal services, particularly for low income households.
The £30 million investment into housing and immigration legal services aid will help the most vulnerable people in the UK who face unfair eviction or being pushed into homelessness, making sure vulnerable people forced into unfair housing legal battles and at risk of losing their home have access to legal advice.
The first increase in civil legal aid funding in almost 30 years, will also be met with a proposed £20 million a year in additional investment which marks the government’s next step in its plans to rebuild the under siege legal aid sector.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said; “Civil legal aid plays a crucial role in our justice system, providing legal support for vulnerable people thereby helping to ensure access to justice. This Government is determined to improve the civil legal aid sector which was left neglected for years. This is an important step as we rebuild our justice system, ensuring it is fit for purpose for the society it serves and those who serve within it.”
Last month, it was announced that the criminal legal aid system will also be bolstered by a £24 million investment so that solicitors who work in police stations and Youth Courts will be backed up with much needed additional funding, helping them to address ongoing challenges in the criminal justice system.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness
Over 5,000 people each year are accepted as homeless by their local authority as a result of a violent relationship. This worrying statistic means that some 10% of all homeless applications each year are a direct result of domestic violence.
Whilst an initial £30m investment is small in comparison to the scale of the problem, with the additional £20m per year also deemed insufficient in tackling the bigger picture, it is still very welcome for the most vulnerable people in the UK who so desperately need housing and immigration legal aid.
Spokesperson for criminal injury claim solicitors (Exclusive Law) said of the new £30m investment into housing and immigration legal aid “The link between domestic violence and homelessness cannot be overstated and more often than not such homelessness also involves young children, so the fact that the government is finally putting some investment into the civil legal aid system will hopefully see societies most vulnerable people get the support they deserve.”
