Refugee Status

Chris Grayling is once again using “last refuge of a scoundrel” arguments about Legal Aid – you guessed it, the “fat cat lawyers” ones. There is a good summary, and reply, by Catherine Baksi here.

I wrote these thoughts for our friends at the Justice Gap when he used the “unworthy defendant” version last month.

Given neither the Coalition nor the Opposition are going to champion the defence of Legal Aid why not have done with it and just say;

“We’ve got to make cuts, everybody hates lawyers and criminals, so cutting Legal Aid is a no-brainer*”

One assumes, of course, that when his department instructs external lawyers, esp. Counsel, they never use a QC and pay at below Legal Aid rates.

*Use of modern phrase to convey “oneness with the kids” and that we are “all in it together”.

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