Dunne: a cheap legal aid service would be no service at all

UnitedFuture leader and Ohariu MP Peter Dunne is expressing caution over the Government's proposed changes to the legal aid system, saying a cheap legal aid service would really be no service at all.

"I fully appreciate the concern that the legal aid bill has ballooned to nearly $200 million a year and I agree that it needs to be restrained," Mr Dunne said.

"However, the changes required must be balanced by ensuring that access to good legal advice for vulnerable people is not compromised.

"While, like most people, I have no truck with wealthy business people claiming legal aid, these high profile cases are not the norm.

"The reality is that there are likely to be many other circumstances where people, who could not typically be described as poor or low income, cannot afford the legal representation they need without legal aid.

"They are the people potentially in danger of missing out if these changes are applied too arbitrarily," he said.

Mr Dunne said the answer lies in the proposed upgrading of the Public Defence Service.

"This needs to become a nationally available service, providing a high standard of legal advice and representation to clients in genuine need - and with the expressed bottom line that no qualifying client will be denied access to fair and timely justice," he said.

"It needs to be properly staffed with the kind of mix of junior and senior lawyers that one would expect in a good law firm, and not simply staffed with junior lawyers who come cheap, but due to inexperience cannot offer the best of service."

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