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19 January 2012

Legal aid victory for young people aged 16–25 with SEN

Lord Tim Clement JonesYesterday (Wednesday 18th January) the Government agreed to make changes to the Legal Aid, Sentencing, and Punishment of Offenders Bill to ensure young people aged 16-25 will get access to legal aid when taking cases related to their special educational needs. These young people, including those with autism, had been excluded from eligibility for legal aid in Government’s original proposals.

Ambitious about Autism has been campaigning with the Special Educational Consortium to reverse this decision, so that young people with SEN get the legal help they need to secure a good education beyond school.

Ambitious about Autism President, Lord Tim Clement-Jones, led the charge in the House of Lords. He commented:

“Surely there is no justification for cutting legal aid off at the age where young people might be transitioning from one educational institution to another, and when some young people with SEN continue to face barriers to getting the support that they need.”

Speaking for the Government, Lord Wallace of Tankerness said: “The Government in principle accepts the point, and we will table a technical amendment to ensure that SEN matters are fully within the Bill's scope.”

Thank you to all our supporters in the House of Lords, and especially Lord Tim Clement-Jones for campaigning on this crucial issue. We look forward to working with the Government to turn this commitment into a reality. You can join the campaign to protect other areas of legal aid by visiting the Justice for All website. 

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