UK CITIZENS' ACCESS TO JUSTICE

That this House is aware of recent independent research undertaken which has revealed that around 600,000 people each year in the UK need to use no win, no fee legal representation agreements to gain access to justice, a figure which includes at least 150,000 people who because of their financial position have to use this mechanism to claim their actual rights in law; notes that Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill proposes to remove such access; is therefore doubly alarmed to learn that the proposals will also have the effect of causing approximately 450,000 people each year to lose up to 25 per cent. of any compensation they may receive, additional costs of 93 million to the NHS, further estimated taxpayer losses for employer liabilities of 70 million, which along with other causes will likely lead to an overall loss in excess of 350 million per annum to the public purse; and believes such outcomes are totally unacceptable and unrepresentative as a form of good or acceptable governance.