Plenet response to the Law Society’s Access to Justice review

In March 2010, the Law Society published their interim report on their consultation on access to justice. Plenet submitted a response arguing that if people are to achieve access to justice they need to be able to recognise law-related problems, know how to find out more and when and where to get expert advice.

The response argues for a preventative strategy for legal services to be developed. Preventative work is accepted in the health sector where preventative medicine and public health campaigns are seen as a legitimate part of the work of the NHS. Public legal education is a key component of such a strategy offering a proactive and preventative approach to legal services.

Low levels of legal capability hinder people’s ability to take part in civil society. The paper says, ‘Lack of awareness to civil law doesn’t just compromise people’s ability to deal with law-related problems; it implies a widespread failure to understand the role of law in civil society leading to cynicism and lack of civic engagement.’

Read Plenet's response to the Law Society's Access to Justice review (29 KB)