Lee Rigby killer

My teenage daughter was physically abused by her ex boyfriend and took an injunction out against him. She works a few hours in a shop and is a full time student with a 2 year old child. Even though she was the innocent party she had to pay over £600 to solicitor as she only got very little legal aid although she has very little income. And yet this bloody creature will no doubt get all his legal expenses paid for him. It's darn right sick. There is no doubt he did it. There are photos and film footage so his legal aid claim should be denied. Something is bloody wrong in this country. We are having the pee taken out of us.... Big time.

Access to the law, inasmuch as legal aid is now so difficult to get, IS denied to many and is dependant on income. But a man who has been convicted, who murdered in front of numerous witnesses, who was videoed waving a machete and ranting over the dead body....now he gets legal aid! Verily the law is a donkey.

Agree with you mishap, if this is the price we pay for having a society where access to the law is not dependant upon your income,then so be it. However, this has to be balanced against the slashes in legal aid and perhaps there should be some kind of limit allowed per case? It goes without saying that I dont agree with his appeal, but I applaud the right to make that appeal.

That may well be true in certain instances Aka, but that is how the law is clarified. It's not the job of a lawyer to make the law but to ensure that it is applied. That may not be fair, or just - in its wider sense. But that's a matter for parliament.

Indeed they do - and many of them involved in the lower courts barely make a living.

And, as always, the law of unintended consequences applies. No lawyer means that often, an inarticulate or intellectually challenged defendant struggling to cross examine the CPS, results in endless delay and therefore no saving in the long run. And justice is not seen to be done - or despite the best efforts of those presiding in the courts, is done.

Agreed, but some lawyer has found a point to appeal on, even though they know there is no hope of it succeeding.

The cuts to legal aid are real, and having a negative impact on private, public, and criminal law.

Lawyers seem to be fair game for criticism, but we shouldn't forget, they do some very worthwhile work

Legal snouts in the trough.

It is sickening to think we will be paying for this - but the other side of the coin is that it represents as near as we can get to a fair justice system (which is beyond price) and that is the price we pay. I have no doubt that his appeal will fail.

The system is not perfect, but we would be a poorer civilization if the right to appeal were only for the rich.

It's sickening, isn't it.

Only for some of us, biker...

I thought legal aid was being tightened up!

It's just not right.

He's got Legal Aid of course. All prisoners seem to be entitled to it, however outlandish their claims/appeals. This appeal could cost tens of thousands of pounds...