Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, responding to today’s statement by Justice Secretary David Lidington that the government’s review into its Legal Aid reforms will conclude by July 2018, said:

 “When people can’t afford to defend their rights, those rights are worth nothing more than the paper they are written on. Government cuts to legal aid have priced out hundreds of thousands of people from being able to enforce their hard won rights.

 “Justice delayed is justice denied, so it is disappointing that even though the Government first announced its review nine months ago, it still won’t conclude for another nine months.

 “The Government must use this review to fundamentally repair the damage caused by its legal aid reforms, rather than simply applying a sticking plaster to a broken system.”