NEW MATTER START ALLOCATIONS FOR 2010-11

01/02/10

Steve Rudaini
Press Officer – Media & PR
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL

The LSC today published details about the New Matter Starts on its website . Thought our initial view might be of interest.

See below.


Responding to the Legal Service Commission's announcement today setting out their approach to New Matter Start Allocations for 2010-11, Law Society President, Robert Heslett, says:

"As early as the autumn last year, advisers across the country had begun to run out of contract capacity to help people, and the LSC has refused to increase their contracts. The position is unlikely to be different in the coming year, so these plans will inevitably leave thousands of vulnerable people unable to find the help they need. The Treasury needs to take on board the serious harm it is doing to ordinary people and to the rule of law by denying people the ability to protect and enforce their rights.

"The Legal Services Commission (LSC) says it is allocating matter starts based on actual usage last year. Given its budgetary constraints, this is no doubt the best it can do, but it is nowhere near good enough. The impact of the recession means that many more people qualify for legal aid, and many more need help."