Legal aid reforms target excluded

Civil legal aid services will increasingly focus on the socially excluded and resolve cases before they reach the courts, the Legal Services Commission revealed last week.

In a five-year strategy, the commission, which runs the legal aid system, says it wants to set up legal aid centres in partnership with councils in the most deprived areas to provide services ranging from advice to representation on social welfare issues.

● Making Legal Rights a Reality and Causes of Action from www.legalservices.gov.uk