Post by nickd on Mar 27, 2012 23:55:24 GMT 1
Ken Clarke has long portrayed an image in the media that he is something of a liberal when it comes to justice.
Given his harsh stance in demoting the value of access to social justice; - he's well and truly left any liberal tendencies behind him.
Amongst, the Justice Minister's legacy....
1. 650,000 people taken out of the scope of legal aid with whole areas removed from scope and vulnerable people abandoned at every level from first instance to the Supreme Court.
2. Secret Courts where people will not know the evidence against them.
3. New expensive fees to access Tribunals with the highest fees for discrimination cases. At the same time he seeks to disable access to justice in our social security tribunals by hoodwinking claimants in to thinking they are "user friendly" proceedings.
4. Making it harder for domestic violence victims to protect themselves.
5. Vandalism of the Administrative Justice and Tribunal's Council
6. Introduces fees to bring cases to the European Court of Human Rights-with which no other country agrees.
Now a new attack- European Justice
"Britons will suffer from Clarke’s opt-out, says Brussels"
27 March 2012 by John Hyde
Brussels officials have reacted with surprise and sadness after the UK government formally opted out of a six-year European Commission justice programme.
Justice minister Kenneth Clarke confirmed last week that the UK would not take part in the €803m scheme. Clarke admitted that charities and organisations promoting justice that have relied on the programme for six years will be impacted.
Twenty-four European Union countries have signed up to the programme, which aims to ensure access to justice for citizens no matter where they are on the continent. Officials at the commission are thought to be shocked at the UK’s decision and have warned that British people will suffer as a result.
An EC spokesman said: ‘It is sad to think people might have the wrong impression of this - it’s not about imposing laws on Britain, it’s about helping her people.
‘We’re making sure if a British person is arrested in the EU they have the same rights as someone arrested in Britain. That means the right to an interpreter and access to a lawyer.’
.........................."
Rest at link below :
www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/britons....t-says-brussels
As originally posted by Jman on Ilegal)
Read more: ilegal.org.uk/index.cgi?board=reformnews&action=display&thread=4787#ixzz1qMPzA7Al
Mylegal view
Clarke's still living a fantasy. The justice minister can't let go of his former years of being the Nation's chancellor, he was never cut out to be a justice minister; - he views the post as undermining his economic prowess. The old loafer has sacrificed any subscription he may once have held in delivering social justice for those who need it most in an effort to show Osborne he can turn the legal services market round and deliver him economic growth.
Clarke's showing his true colours now, he's relegated social justice to the bin and showed us all that he thinks it a price worth paying.
Clark's problem is two-fold. (1) He's restrained by Osborne's departmental expenditure limits (2) He's on shaky ground now with our European counterparts. Clarke's well and truly blow it if other countries decide they don't want to bring all their disputes to the UK. It's upon this that Clarke has pinned all his hopes; - he's not doing so well abroad you know.
It just goes to show Justice and economic growth aren't compatible commodities; - Clarke's legacy could be that we fail on both counts. The longer term consequential costs far outweigh any savings dictated by Osborne's expenditure limits.