Improve efficiency and save millions, Law Soc tells govt

The Law Society is calling on the government to save the tax payer millions of pounds by making changes to the wasteful criminal justice system. According to its report "Improving Efficiency in the Criminal Justice System", published on 5 October, simple money-saving measures could save £9 million per year in legal aid alone, with additional savings to be made in court and CPS costs. The changes recommended by the report include improving defence solicitor and CPS staff communication to enable cases to be prepared prior to court hearings; simplifying trial preparation forms; and switching to electronic legal aid applications.

Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said: "We have clearly and concisely outlined here how the government could save £9 million and greatly improve the entire criminal justice system at the same time. Instead of cutting £10 million by abolishing clinical negligence claims from legal aid, as outlined in the MOJ's recent impact assessment, why not make the savings elsewhere, by improving efficiency? Preventing claimants who have suffered injury due to the negligence of others from seeking compensation is short-sighted and erodes access to justice, yet our suggestions will save the government millions and positively improve the system."

He went on: "The Law Society recognises that in the current economic climate, savings and efficiencies need to be made but we don't agree that the way to achieve it is to cut legal aid from up to 725,000 cases a year. We have shown that alternative savings of £384 million (£34 million in excess of those being sought) can be achieved while still protecting access to justice."