Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather, who is leaving the House of Commons next year, has said she is “ashamed” of the Government because of plans to introduce a residence test for legal aid.
Ms Teather, a Catholic who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees, said the test will deny recent migrants from accessing legal aid for civil cases, including clinical negligence, unlawful removal of children and provisions for children with special educational needs.
She was speaking in a debate in Parliament the day after a report published by the Joint Committee on Human Rights also said that the test could lead to breaches of children’s rights by denying them access to justice.
“I am ashamed that the Government is introducing regulations that will prevent people from accessing the justice system purely because of their immigration status,” said Ms Teather. “The residence test will leave some of the most vulnerable people in our society with no way of challenging wrong decisions or seeking redress when they have been harmed.”
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