9. KATE WILKINSON (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Justice
Does he have confidence in the Legal Services Agency; if so, why?
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Justice) Link to this
Generally yes, but of course there is always room for improvement.
Does the Minister agree with the comments of Justice Duffy in Law News just last week that “Community law centres are under pressure and groan under a weight of bureaucratic expectations from the Legal Services Agency.” and “my own experiences in acting for two legally-aided persons last year did not encourage me to have further dealings with the Legal Services Agency.”, and what does he intend to do about it?
I have not seen those particular comments but I am sure the member relays them faithfully to the House. I have ongoing work with the Legal Services Agency, looking at the effectiveness and efficiencies of its systems, including in relation to the agencies the member referred to.
Which statement is not correct: his statement on 1 March 2007: “the total listed legal aid provider number has increased”; the statement of Justice Duffy in Law News on 19 October 2007: “The number of lawyers prepared to act for legally-aided clients diminishes daily.”; or the of September 2007, which shows, as a result of the analysis for the last 3 years: “a drop in civil providers … a large drop in providers with experience level 1, for family listed providers; a steady decline in active providers in most matter/law types … and … a steady decline in active family firms.”?
Hon Dr Nick Smith
Madam SPEAKERThose members who cause disorder through interjections will be leaving the Chamber the next time that happens.
The problem with the member’s question, of course, is that it takes three different statements from three different sources quoted at three different times. Therefore, the point of comparison may, first, not be particularly helpful. Second, I think it really depends on which selective number crunching the member wants to play with. What I can say to the member is that for the year ended 30 June, the number of active providers—and I think these are the critical numbers that we should all be interested in; they are certainly the numbers I am interested in—for family law reduced from 922 in 2005-06 to 900 in 2006-07, which is a reduction of 22; the number of active providers for civil law increased from 418 to 452, which is an increase of 44; and the number of active providers for criminal law decreased from 823 to 821, which is a reduction of two. Overall, that is an increase in active providers.
Hon Dr Michael Cullen Link to this
Can the Minister confirm that the question that has just been asked called for an increase in Government spending, and given the contrast with question No. 1 today, which accused the Government of increasing spending too much, does the Legal Services Agency provide for mediation services between National MPs?
In answer to the first part of the question, that is certainly the case. I suspect that National members’ income levels would require they pay for their own mediation.
Why is the Minister advertising on TradeMe and Newstalk ZB for more legal aid applicants when he knows that the number of lawyers prepared to act for legally aided clients diminishes daily?