To those posters whose income is under £37k

[Ilikethebreeze]

The Government is proposing changes to legal aid and to the way lawyers work.

The proposal is that if you earn under £37k you get allocated a lawyer who may not be a specialist in your case, he may be lazy, or have no interest in your case.

If you earn higher than £37k, and can afford it, you can choose which lawyer you want.

So, basically, the more money you have, the better your lawyer might be.

There are also plans to cut the legal aid bill in criminal cases even more [most legal aid for civil cases such as neighbour disputes, and family law disputes has already been cut].

If you do not agree with all this, please could you sign the e-petition in the link. Thank you.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48628

Two responses to the MOJs response:

notopct.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/what-moj-response-to-epetition-does-not.html?m=1

abarristerswife.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/ministry-of-jesters/

Thank you for those.
I think the main points of the blog have been covered on here and on babybarrister's thread.

The abarristerswife link is an interesting one.

This blog really is worth reading. It has taken the blogosphere by storm. It is written by a 34 year old female member of the Bar and is all too real

jaimerhblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/life-at-the-thin-edge-of-the-wedge-the-grim-reality-of-the-independent-junior-criminal-bar/

jaimerhblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/life-at-the-thin-edge-of-the-wedge-the-grim-reality-of-the-independent-junior-criminal-bar/

This will now let you click the link.

I have responded directly to the consultation as well as signing the the petitions.

You can respond here
consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/transforming-legal-aid

Deadline for responses is Tuesday 4th at midnight.

Signed.

Thank you all for the explanations here and on the other thread. I wouldn't have understood the full significance of these changes without them. (Though "we'll put it out tender to a limited pool of 'professional services' companies and accept the lowest bid" is always a red flag.)

"there is no danger of mass panic because most people are law abiding and don't think that these changes are going to affect them."

I just want to point out that just because you are law abiding, it doesn't mean that you can't be affected.

Just for example, I don't suppose my middle aged incredibly respectable farming neighbour thought that he would ever be arrested - but he was (linked to the badger cull - for asking to see proper ID for masked men trying to push their way onto his land).