Call to scrap legal aid criticised by The Children's Legal Centre

In the Adam Smith Institute's latest report Access to Justice: balancing the risks lawyer and medical practitioner Anthony Barton, argues that legal aid is unfair, lacks independence and accountability and does not ensure access to justice offering "dubious value for money".

But The Children’s Legal Centre, which provides legal aid-funded advice and representation for children and their families said the report does not take into account that the system funds "invaluable legal help to thousands of vulnerable people every year".  

Kirsten Anderson, head of research and policy at the Children’s Legal Centre, said: "Children need free, high quality legal representation to pursue claims for compensation where they have suffered harm or a violation of their rights. Legal aid is the best and fairest way to ensure that all children have access to justice.

"Civil legal aid covers the cost of a huge amount of vital legal services, not just the so-called compensation culture. We advise and offer representation to vulnerable children and their carers on a wide range of issues that need redress, including access to education, homelessness and a local authority’s failure to care adequately for a child."