Justice in a cold climate

SIR JAMES MATHEW, an Irish judge at the turn of the 20th century, is said to have quipped that justice in England is open to all, “like the Ritz Hotel”. Some worry that it is going that way again. Until last year, even those who could not afford lawyers could seek redress in areas such as family law or housing disputes. No longer. Seeking to cut Britain’s budget deficit, the government has slashed legal aid. But in doing so, it has failed to reform the system.

Legal aid costs England and Wales around £2 billion ($3.2 billion) a year. That figure has remained steady for the past decade. It is expensive compared with other European countries, partly because of the system’s adversarial—rather than inquisitorial—nature, and partly because it has always been generous in the past. Now Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, is trying to lop £320m off the civil bill and £220m from the criminal side. Since April 2013 the areas covered by civil legal aid have been slashed. Means-testing has been tightened. Aid for prisoners has been restricted. Fees for criminal work are being trimmed. The system continues to function—and still looks better than most—but it is struggling in the age of austerity.