Fight to Save South Manchester Law Centre gains momentum
Article published: Tuesday, November 2nd 2010
With a week to go before the next hearing in the ongoing legal challenge to restore funding to South Manchester Law Centre, campaign organisers have called for people to join them in front of the court next Monday, 8 November, to continue the show of community solidarity.
The Longsight-based Law Centre
will be unable to take on any new cases in two weeks’ time unless the decision to end its funding is reversed. The Legal Services Commission (LSC), the body which allocates legal aid funding, renewed only one third of financing for asylum cases and a sixth for immigration. This was compounded by Manchester City Council and the LSC withdrawing money for employment, housing and benefits. Without this money it cannot meet its operational costs and may be forced to close its doors.
The Centre is challenging the decision on the grounds that the process for allocating contracts failed to take into account the quality of services provided by organisations. Rather, says Sukhdeep Singh, a caseworker at the Centre, it was a “box-ticking exercise which failed to look at the quality of work and instead only asked for the number of caseworkers you had”.
The process used by the LSC for allocating legal aid funding has generated much controversy. Using a competitive tendering process for the first time, providers – which include many independent not-for-profit organisations – were put in direct competition with one another, with the result that many lost out. The introduction of this market mechanism resulted in consolidation: most contracts were allocated to larger, national organisations and in addition many private firms who had no prior experience of public work were given contracts.
At the end of September the High Court quashed the LSC’s allocation of family law legal aid contracts on the grounds that the decision severely hindered access to justice for vulnerable children and their parents. Campaigners hope this gives the Law Centre’s claim an equally solid foundation as there are many similarities in the form of assessment.
Alongside the formal procedure a public campaign mounted over the last two months has gained widespread public support.
A demonstration outside the LSC building in Manchester on September 29 saw an attendance of around 200 people. This was followed by a fringe meeting during the Labour party conference where people who have relied on legal aid spoke of the imperative for independent law centres for there to be access to justice. At a public meeting held at the Pakistani Community Centre on Stockport Road last week Sir Gerald Kaufman MP was in attendance and has promised to make further representations to the LSC and Secretary of State for Justice. Other politicians now onboard the campaign include Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd and Withington MP John Leech as well as several local councillors.
The momentum of the campaign has impressed employees and volunteers at the Centre.
“The level of public support has been amazing and uplifting,” Sukhdeep Singh told MULE. “When people demonstrate on our behalf it makes us realise what an effect our work has had on the community.
“A lot of solidarity came out of last week’s meeting – and the belief that we might actually win.”
Support has also been forthcoming from local trade unions, who have given money in donations.
Next Monday supporters of the cause are called on to join the protest outside the Civil Justice Centre at 9.30am and then show support inside, where the judicial review of the LSC’s decision is due to be heard at the High Court.
James Cassidy
South Manchester Law Centre, set up in 1976, is one of only two independent centres providing immigration and asylum advice and representation in the city. The other, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU), is also challenging the LSC’s decision to slash its funding by 70%. Both are challenging the LSC decision by judicial review.
More: Cuts, Migration and asylum, News, Welfare
Comments
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Thanks for the support. But the law centre will NOT close in two weeks time. Whilst funding is precarious, the long term situation critical and the JR a crucial part of the survival battle, WE WILL STILL BE OPEN IN TWO WEEKS TIME. The campaign and the fight will go on.
Comment by Richard on November 3, 2010 at 10:34 am -
Apologies for the error. This has now been amended. Michael (editorial collective)
Comment by michaelp on November 3, 2010 at 12:32 pm -
Why do governments always try to cancel what is useful to citizens and whether these are the promises that they called them during the last election.
Comment by Mohammed Ali on November 5, 2010 at 12:30 am -
At the JR permission hearing today, the Judge accepted there are merits in our case against the LSC. Permissions to proceed to a full hearing was granted. The full hearing should take place sometime in early December. And contrary to what teh article says, the law centre will still be taking on cases in immigration, asylum and women’s rights issues after 15th November.
Comment by Richard on November 9, 2010 at 12:26 am -
[…] http://manchestermule.com/article/fight-to-save-south-manchester-law-centre-gains-momentum Facebook: If you’re on it, there are pages: ‘Save South Manchester Law Centre’ and ‘Greater Manchester Immigration Aid’. http://www.gmiau.org http://www.smlc.org.uk […]
Pingback by Anti Cuts Protests » Blog Archive » Save South Manchester Law Centre 15.11.10 on November 14, 2010 at 6:26 pm -
[…] due to a change in the regime for allocating legal aid funding, as reported by MULE over the past two months. However a victory last week at the High Court in Manchester gave grounds for South Manchester Law […]
Pingback by Law centre campaigners hold protest outside Legal Services Commission — MULE on November 16, 2010 at 1:13 pm
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