The LSC should pay due respect to its duty to ensure access to justice, says John Ford
It is more than 10 years since the landmark judicial review claim brought by Mackintosh Duncan challenging the Civil Contracting Scheme, R v Legal Aid Board and another, ex parte Duncan and another, [2000] All ER (D) 189. That case was decided before the Human Rights Act 1998 came into force. But it did take note of the measures which were to be enacted in the Access to Justice Act 1999 (AJA 1999).
The court recognised the serious impact of the proposed changes from the start: “Practitioners are seriously concerned at the effect of the contracting process on their clients. They believe that their clients will be denied access to justice. Many firms who specialise in social welfare areas of work often deal with people from deprived areas who desperately need access to effective legal help. They frequently do this work from a strong commitment to the vulnerable and disadvantaged because they believe that people with legal problems have an entitlement to good quality services.
