By Ashley Young-
Close to £12m has been awarded to free legal advice agencies to cope with an increasing surge in demand from local communities.
The Community Justice Fund has paid out £11,536,308 in its first round of funding to 178 legal advice organisations across the UK, in a joint initiative established between Advice UK, Law Centres Network, Citizens Advice, front line advice organisations, and a group of independent funders.
Ministry of Justice contributed £5.4 m to the fund, and the National Lottery Community Fund donated £5m. The total contribution goes a long way in helping undefended litigants who lack the legal expertise to defend their case and need the help of a barrister.
Several litigants in person who could not afford the expensive fees of a lawyer have benefited from the free services of legal practitioners funded by legal aid, providing them representation for cases they could not handle on their own.
Litigants in person often present challenges to the court, and work against their own interests too since they are unfamiliar with the proper legal jargon and processes necessary to give their case the best shot.
Maintaining a balance between assisting and understanding what the litigant in person requires, while protecting their represented opponent against the problems that can be caused by the litigant in person’s lack of legal and procedural knowledge.
Almost 180 legal advice organisations benefit from Community Justice Fund. Grants were awarded to organisations between May and September 2020, including law centres, local Citizens Advice, independent advice agencies and national charities. A second round of funding is planned.
The grant goes some way to plug the gap left by civil legal aid cuts imposed by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
Ruth Daniel, chief executive of the Access to Justice Foundation, said: ‘The pandemic has shone a spotlight both on the importance of the sector and its fragility, and we are aware that this is only the beginning of support required for the challenging times ahead. We are currently forward-planning and actively fundraising for the second round of Community Justice Fund grants.
‘We’re very interested in hearing from outside parties looking to support our longer-term ambition to strengthen the sector and ensure it remains sustainable for those who need it both during the crisis and in the future.’