Priorities for Vulnerable Children

At a conference 'The Future of Care Proceedings', organised by the Michael Sieff Foundation and Children Law UK on 16 and 17 April 2007, fears were expressed that the Legal Services Commission's stringent proposals for restricting legal aid were leading to an increasing exodus of lawyers from un-remunerative family court work. The most vulnerable families could be deprived of their legal rights because they would not be able to get legal aid when they needed it most. Without experienced child lawyers, necessary changes would not be driven forward. Harriet Harman, Minister of State at the Department for Constitutional Affairs, stated at the conference that the interests of children must be put at the heart of care proceedings. Delegates agreed that for that to happen, essential services at the cutting edge of change had to be adequately funded. For further information see June [2007] Fam Law.