News Release: 25 April 2012
Hot topic – The battle for "access" to Legal Aid for victims of Domestic Violence
Amber Rudd MP and Kate Green MP – go "head to head" on this Tricky Issue!
Victims of Domestic Violence can take years to summon up the confidence to report offences to the police. They may not, initially, tell anybody else, even friends and family yet alone those in positions of authority, about their abuse. But reforms to how Legal Aid is "accessed" in the future for Domestic Violence victims is leading to concerns that women will not be able to "qualify" for Legal Aid in order to take their cases to Court. New time restrictions are being imposed and new processes are being put in place for those in authority to legitimate that abuse did actually take place.
The Women's Institute, Mumsnet, Netmums and Rights of Women, have written to the Justice Secretary Ken Clarke, saying that the new reforms to Legal Aid will be detrimental to Domestic Violence victims. They have copied their letter to the Prime Minister, David Cameron.
The Labour Women MPs want more reforms and concessions to the proposals but Ken Clarke says the amendments he has already made are sufficient, including broadening the definition of domestic violence for legal aid purposes to include emotional and psychological harm, not just physical abuse.
Women admitted to a refuge, those receiving social services support, and any victim whose partner or ex-partner has a caution for violence against them will now also be entitled to claim legal aid. Originally only those in a refuge would have been able to claim.
The various amendments have been "ping ponging" between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. So who is for or against the various amendments?
We talk to Amber Rudd MP, the Conservative MP for Amber Valley and Kate Green, the Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston and Shadow Equalities Minister. Both have supported a number of the amendments. They spoke to our Executive Producer Boni Sones in Central Lobby.
Amber Rudd MP (Cons) Hot quote: "I feel it is an example of democracy in action because it gave us time to make the case to the Secretary of State. It gave the interest groups like the WI and Mumsnet time to make the case about widening the definition of Domestic Violence and a lot of Conservative MPs, Conservative women MPs in particular, took the opportunity to speak to the Secretary of State Ken Clarke.
"There have been very important concessions made which do safeguard women's rights, and this will be the end of the "ping pong". I hope the message comes across of the facts: that if you have been a victim of Domestic Violence you will get Legal Aid – the only thing is you have to have evidence from someone else, and that is a very reasonable position to take"
Kate Green MP (Lab) (Co-author "Everywoman Safe Everywhere" Report) Hot Quote: "It is a very confused situation with accessing Legal Aid. The government are putting women and sometimes men at risk of further abuse. We need further concessions. There is quite a lot of slow reporting, in the first few months, there can be up to a couple of dozen incidents before a victim is able to report abuse. If there are doubts about the remedy you can access, women will be all the more deterred from seeking advice and support. This is happening against a backdrop of many other changes to Legal Aid which will restrict access to advice, for example welfare benefits and housing and family law arrangements too. It is not just the DV cuts that are serious but all the other things someone fleeing DV can find themselves dealing with."
For more information contact www.parliamentaryradio.co.uk Executive Producer Boni Sones 07703716961.
Listen to Amber's interview...
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Listen to Kate's interview...
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