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08 August 2014 / Dr Jon Robins
Issue: 7618 / Categories: Features
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A muted celebration

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Jon Robins signs off for the summer with some reflections on the trappings & failures of high office

Legal aid reached the grand old age of 65 years last month—retirement age, as a number of commentators pointed out. Obviously there was little cause for celebration this year, however, the occasion was duly acknowledged by all. Well, not quite. There was a conspicuous silence from the Ministry of Justice.

Legal aid was born at 11.47am, 30 July 1949. I know this because the information appeared on a special website that the Legal Services Commission (as it was then) launched for legal aid’s “Big 60”. While the website has since been decommissioned, happily it is preserved in the national archives.

Legal aid was hardly in rude health five years ago and yet the site existed to “celebrate” the success and achievements of public funded law. In fact, the Commission went on tour from Truro to Birmingham espousing the values of legal aid, evidenced by the claim that “if this exhibition means only two more people seek

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