Courts: Magistrates’ Courts

Lord Clinton-Davis Excerpts

Tuesday 14th June 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Phillips of Sudbury]

My Lords—

[Lord Clinton-Davis]

My Lords—

[Lord Shutt of Greetland]

We have time for a Member of the Labour Benches and then we had better hear a view from this side.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Clinton-Davis]

These proposals coupled with the ferocious attack on legal aid are in my view a false economy. Is it not clear that those who are most vulnerable will indeed pay a very heavy price for this absurd policy?

[Baroness Northover]

Not surprisingly, I very much disagree. The provision in the courts is woefully inadequate in many cases. The estate needs to be improved in many instances to make adequate provision for victims and witnesses to ensure that they are secure in terms of defendants in custody and to be made accessible to people with disabilities. In many cases—this follows on from the policy of the previous Government—the courts are not in that state. This assists in trying to improve things.