A legal aid service that helps thousands of people who cannot afford a lawyer is under threat after government funding is withdrawn, according to The Guardian.
It comes when the number of people fighting for justice without a lawyer has skyrocketed after the small cuts in legal aid in 2013.
The charity Support Through Court has been funded primarily by the Ministry of Justice for the past eight years, but was told it would cease to operate by the end of the month. Formerly known as the Personal Support Unit, it has offices in 20 civil and family courts in England and Wales, using volunteers to provide practical and emotional support to those who navigate the justice system alone.
It is one of several charities working with unrepresented people in the courts whose funding is in doubt after the government ended its in-person litigation strategy earlier this year. They have been told that there will be grants they can apply for in the future, but they have no idea how long they will be or how long they will be.
With a budget of £ 400,000 left in its budget, Support Through Court is on the verge of launching an urgent appeal, without which it faces the prospect of layoffs and the closure of some of its offices.
Eileen Pereira, the charity’s executive director, said: “Every day hundreds of people who can’t access legal aid enter court buildings that need support and guidance and this will only increase as the cost of Without the funding we have received for eight years, we are facing the real possibility of closing the doors to the support we give to these people.
“Closing any of our services would have a devastating impact, not only on the clients we support, but on the entire judicial system.”
Legal aid was withdrawn in 2013 in most civil cases and in almost all private family law. Since then, the proportion of private family law hearings in which both parties have a lawyer has almost halved to one in five.
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The most common scenario in private family hearings is that only one party has a lawyer, who accounted for 42% of all cases last year. Legal experts say this creates an uneven playing field in disputes over issues such as access to children and the separation of finances.
Alex Cunningham, the shadow minister of the courts, said: justice.
“Attending court hearings can be a very stressful experience and the courts work more efficiently when the parties are informed and supported during the process. Workers would begin to deal with the backlog and restore order in the system. criminal justice “.
While 81% of all civil claims – such as debt-seeking companies – have lawyers, only 44% of those who defend them are represented.
Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, said: It is legal advice and representation, but Support Through Court offers practical and emotional support that can help them in stressful court hearings. important service “.
The funding shortfall facing legal support and specialist advice services is £ 17.5 million for 2022-23, according to data collected by the Community Justice Fund.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “We want access to early legal support to be available to those who need it most, and charities will soon be able to bid for new grants so that even more people can benefit from their services”.