Whilst the government was marking the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta with a lavish, £1,750-a-ticket jamboree of corporate lawyers in Westminster, justice campaigners were gathering outside Parliament. Magna Carta promised that ‘to no one will we sell, to no one will we deny .. justice’, enshrining the principle of access to justice as a fundamental right – one law for the rich and for the poor alike. And this is precisely why protesters were gathering in Westminster – to protest at the government’s restrictions on access to justice, with particular impacts on the poorest and most disadvantaged, as a result of drastic cuts to legal aid.
CUCR’s latest publication, ‘Magna Carta today: What would a progressive government need to do, to ensure access to justice for social welfare in the twenty first century’ – produced in partnership with Unite the Union – sets out the arguments against the government’s so called ‘reforms’, together with proposals for a National Strategy to ensure access to justice for all, regardless of income. The pamphlet is being launched with Sadiq Khan, Shadow secretary of State for Justice, in the House of Commons on 11th March.
For more information and access to a copy of the pamphlet please contact: Marj Mayo: m.mayo@gold.ac.uk
Marjorie Mayo is Emeritus Professor of Community Development at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her publications include ‘Access to Justice in Disadvantaged Communities’ with G. Koessl, I. Slater and M. Scott, 2014.
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