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http://soundoffforjustice.org/
COPY EXTRACT FROM SOUNDOFFFORJUSTICE WEBSITE
This week has seen the first sessions of the Justice Bill Committee, where MPs are listening to evidence and submissions from groups and organisations concerned about the government’s proposed Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Bill.
One line of questioning from the committee this week has focussed on the claim that the UK’s legal aid system is more expensive than other countries, with New Zealand being cited as an example of a country where financial eligibility is more difficult than this country.
This is another instance of the MPs concerned with this bill getting their calculations wrong as figures from New Zealand’s Legal Services Regulations 2011 tell the true story.
In the UK, the maximum gross income for the applicant and up to 4 dependants to be eligible for legal aid is £31,884 per year. However, In New Zealand the amount for the same size family unit is $64, 678 NZD per year – which is equivalent to£34,041 per year when working with the current exchange rate of £1 = $1.9 NZD.
So in this instance, the financial eligibility rules in New Zealand are slightly more generous, and it could be argued the gap is actually wider in real terms if you consider the cost of living in New Zealand is lower than the UK.
Sound Off For Justice hope the Justice Bill Committee and government take heed of these accurate calculations, along with our alternative cost-saving proposals for UK legal aid, to ensure the public are being told the truth about the cost and qualifying criteria for legal aid– but more importantly – that vulnerable people who rely on it can still benefit from the good it does.
http://soundoffforjustice.org/
COPY EXTRACT FROM SOUNDOFFFORJUSTICE WEBSITE
This week has seen the first sessions of the Justice Bill Committee, where MPs are listening to evidence and submissions from groups and organisations concerned about the government’s proposed Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Bill.
One line of questioning from the committee this week has focussed on the claim that the UK’s legal aid system is more expensive than other countries, with New Zealand being cited as an example of a country where financial eligibility is more difficult than this country.
This is another instance of the MPs concerned with this bill getting their calculations wrong as figures from New Zealand’s Legal Services Regulations 2011 tell the true story.
In the UK, the maximum gross income for the applicant and up to 4 dependants to be eligible for legal aid is £31,884 per year. However, In New Zealand the amount for the same size family unit is $64, 678 NZD per year – which is equivalent to£34,041 per year when working with the current exchange rate of £1 = $1.9 NZD.
So in this instance, the financial eligibility rules in New Zealand are slightly more generous, and it could be argued the gap is actually wider in real terms if you consider the cost of living in New Zealand is lower than the UK.
Sound Off For Justice hope the Justice Bill Committee and government take heed of these accurate calculations, along with our alternative cost-saving proposals for UK legal aid, to ensure the public are being told the truth about the cost and qualifying criteria for legal aid– but more importantly – that vulnerable people who rely on it can still benefit from the good it does.
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