You may have seen some coverage recently about the government's Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LASPO), which is currently in the House of Lords. The bill proposes some changes to the provision of legal aid, including further means-testing and an end to conditional fee arrangements (otherwise known as 'no win no fee' deals).
Some people are concerned that these changes will mean that vulnerable groups, people on average earnings and small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) will face a considerable struggle in accessing justice via the courts. They argue that this could affect women attempting to leave abusive relationships in which their partner controls the finances; parents trying to bring clinical negligence cases against healthcare providers; and people with learning disabilities challenging local authority decisions.
Because this is an issue that could have ramifications for a lot of MNers, we wanted to canvass your views and collect your experiences. Have you used legal aid in the past, or are you using it now? Are you concerned about the proposed changes? Or are you a legal professional with experience from the other side of the fence? We'd love to hear what you think, and whether Mumsnet should sign up to support the campaign.
The Sound Off For Justice campaign is supported by Shelter, Eaves Housing, the Law Society, the Refugee Council, Rights of Women, and Netmums 
. You can read more about the campaign (and sign the e-petition if you wish) here and here.
Thanks,
MNHQ