With regard to the published articles about Legal Aid it should be noted that the prisoners concerned do not physically get the money.
The Legal Aid system, depending on the application, is a means tested system which will take people's financial situation into consideration. It is a support facility for people who are involved in a legal situation. As such, it is not the prisoners who are featured in the articles getting the cash in their pocket. It is however, the state agreeing to pay their legal fees associated with the legal situation they are involved. It is the lawyers who will get the money. Given Jeremy has had 2 Appeal hearings already and has a third in application their is no doubt his legal aid bills will be quite substantial. The associate legal costs will be paid, in part, by the state i.e. Contributions from Tax paying members of society.
If the amounts are deemed too much maybe it is the lawyers who should be looking at their legal charge rates per hour etc..
The articles are reporting some of the facts of life of our society whilst the specific words used re 'parole' hearings may be inaccurate.
I am sure the majority of posters on the forum will not have had such support from the state in terms of legal aid. However, if any of us were in Jeremy's position we would have been entitled to submit a claim for Legal Aid. I believe in the majority of criminal cases it is the Legal Aid system that pays the legal bills on behalf of the accused. It is a fact of our society that enveryone is entitled to a defence.
It is also a fact of our society that the victims of crime are not looked after with the same crude financial levels / sums of support from the state.
I am sure NGB will be able to confirm the above.
