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Proceeding contribution from Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws (Labour) in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 10 January 2012. It occurred during Committee of the Whole House (HL) and Debate on bill on Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.


Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

I am sorry to interrupt. On the issue of the assumption that experts will cluster in London rather than elsewhere, the experience, particularly in the medical field, is that—after, for example, the ““sudden infant death”” debacle and miscarriages of justice, and due to the feeling that there has been considerable criticism of paediatricians or pathologists over matters involving children—there is now real reluctance among people to be experts. It is not that there is a plethora of experts around; in fact, the opposite is the case. It is very hard to get medical people to come forward as experts in the courts because they do not want to have that kind of exposure. They also find that they are not paid enough money to make doing so worth cutting into their professional time. There is a misunderstanding about the availability of experts, particularly in the medical field. My point about domestic violence is that in family cases, where on the whole there will not be legal aid, if someone is claiming that they have been a victim of domestic violence then they will be able to claim legal aid, but often there will be an argument over whether indeed there has been domestic violence. It is experts who often can resolve that. Will there be legal aid available to help to resolve the issue of domestic violence in order to enable access to legal aid?


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
734 c20 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Children Criminal proceedings Appeals Disadvantaged Administration of justice Civil proceedings Legal profession Women Equality Health services Fees and charges Legal aid scheme Expenditure Domestic abuse Legal Services Commission Family law Family proceedings NHS Low incomes Ministerial powers Public appointments Negligence Social security Sentencing Standards Voluntary organisations Young people Witnesses Remand in custody Ministry of Justice Expert evidence Citizens' advice bureaux Law centres Impact assessments Public Defender Service Lord Chancellor Mediation
Legislation
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2010-12
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk