The cuts to civil legal aid which came into effect in April 2013, involved the removal of many areas of law from eligibility for legal aid; tightening financial eligibility criteria for legal aid; and the provision of more legal advice over the telephone instead of face-to-face. The Ministry of Justice also achieved cuts to legal aid through reducing fees paid to providers by 10 per cent between October 2011 to February 2012. The Public Accounts Committee, in a recent report relying on evidence provided by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ)and the Legal Aid Agency, made important findings on the implementation of the changes, criticising the MoJ for its lack of robust evidence on the impact of the changes and failing to deliver on key objectives. This has caused significant challenges for ensuring access to justice for persons, including children and young people.
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