Early Day Motion, Parliamentary Debate and Launch of the Crowdfunded Campaign to provide MPs with the Secret Barrister Book and YLAL Report

Following EDM 1111, which concerns the government’s proposed Statutory Instrument (SI) on Criminal Legal Aid remuneration, we have secured a debate on AGFS in the House of Commons on 8th May 2018. There are currently 132 signatories to the EDM including MPs from the Labour, Green, SNP and Plaid Cymru parties. 

On the day of the debate, 8th May 2018, the Criminal Bar Association and Young Legal Aid Lawyers, supported by a broad coalition, comprising The Bar Council, Young Bar Association, Criminal Law Solicitors Association and the Justice Alliance, will host an event in the House of Commons: Time for Justice: The Law is Broken.  

This will launch the successful crowd funding campaign to provide MPs with a copy of a book by the Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How it is Broken, and the YLAL Report on Social Mobility in a Time of Austerity.  MPs will be invited to attend to collect their copies and discuss the issues before hearing from speakers and joining the debate.   

Angela Rafferty, Chair of the CBA and Siobhan Taylor-Ward, Vice Chair of YLAL and Justice First Fellow, will join Baroness Helena Kennedy QC; Bob Neill MP, Chair of the Justice Select Committee; Richard Burgon MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor; and young legal aid lawyers to discuss the crisis in the criminal justice system.

We ask all members to lobby their MP.  Tell them about the debate and launch event which will take place in Committee Room 14, House of Commons between 5.30-6.30pm.

You can lobby your MP here by entering your postcode. It contains a draft letter to send or personalise your own.

We encourage our members to attend. Please also disseminate this email to your networks. If attending please leave plenty of time to get through security. The queues put Southwark Crown Court to shame.

A briefing paper has been prepared for all MPs and is available here and an addendum by YLAL to accompany the report here.  We are gaining cross-party support which is encouraging.

Help us tell every MP about the crisis in the criminal justice system.

We appreciate it is the Bank Holiday Weekend, however your full support is required to make this a success at such short notice. 

#TheLawIsBroken

#Time4Justice