Case postponed due to lack of legal aid

Posted By: James

Tuesday 10th June 2014

The most senior family judge in England and Wales, Sir James Munby, has had to adjourn a case because of a lack of legal aid for one of the parties. A father fighting for access to see his son had not received legal aid, a factor the judge decided was preventing the court from delivering a fair hearing. Sir James stated: “This case raises, in quite an acute form, a problem which is increasingly troubling judges sitting in the family court at all levels… I propose to adjourn this matter for … a short time, inviting the Ministry of Justice – or it may be the secretary of state for justice or it might be the minister for the courts and legal aid – to intervene in the proceedings.” The decision comes shortly after a serious fraud case collapsed as a result of cuts to legal aid.

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