Proxy models of legal need: can they contribute to equity of access to justice?

Baker, DJ; Barrow, S

Abstract

Prioritisation of cases and resources as a means of rationing the limited legal aid budget has recently become a feature of access to justice in the UK. This article explores the utility of devising proxymodels of ‘legal need’ as a means of enabling the rational and equitable planning of legal services in these circumstances. Different conceptual and methodological approaches are considered, highlighting preliminary development work in Scotland. The likelihood of developing ‘legal needs’ measures that promote equity of access to appropriate legal services is discussed in the light of problems with defining ‘legal need’ and the diversity of services
available for the resolution of legal problems.

Citation

Baker, D., & Barrow, S. (2006). Proxy models of legal need: can they contribute to equity of access to justice?. Journal of Social Policy, 35(2), 267-282. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279405009529

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2006
• Deposit Date: Jul 27, 2007
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 27, 2007
• Journal: Journal of Social Policy
• Print ISSN: 0047-2794
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 267-282
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279405009529
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0047279405009529
• Related Public URLs: http://journals.cambridge.org; http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=JSP