New justice secretary urged to focus on legal aid

updated on 05 August 2019

The Law Society has called on the new Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, to focus on access to justice and undo the years of damage done to the legal aid system under successive governments.

Buckland, a former barrister, has been recently promoted to the role of lord chancellor by new Prime Minister Boris Johnson after his predecessor, David Gauke, resigned. Welcoming the appointment, Simon Davis, president of the Law Society, said: “As a former criminal barrister, he will understand the challenges facing our justice system. Decades of cuts have had widespread effects on the profession and the public – with legal aid deserts emerging across the country and criminal solicitors struggling to survive on low rates of pay. We look forward to working with the new lord chancellor to address these issues, improve access to justice and promote England and Wales as a global legal centre.”

Buckland served as solicitor general in the governments of David Cameron and Theresa May, and has previously stated to the Law Gazette that legal aid is an important aspect of the justice system which cannot be replaced with pro bono volunteers.