Published: 25th November 2016 The Bach Commission on Access to Justice has today published its interim report into legal aid. PLP submitted evidence to the Commission, which has found that individuals are being denied access to justice and that LASPO has produced a “crisis in the justice system”. The report identifies a number of factors that have contributed to this, including the failings of the exceptional funding scheme and the gateway telephone service. The Commission has found that the ECF scheme has “failed to deliver for those in need” and that the grant rate is far lower than government predictions. PLP is concerned that the rate is still far below the predictions and the scheme remains inaccessible to individuals. The report also refers to PLP’s research into the gateway telephone service, which found that the volume of advice being given via the gateway is significantly lower than anticipated and that service users experience real difficulty in navigating and proceeding through the service. The interim report is here: http://www.fabians.org.uk/content/uploads/2016/11/Access-to-Justice_final_web.pdf The page inluding initial findings and recommendations, with a link to their crowdfunding page (with a request to help fund the next stage) is here: http://www.fabians.org.uk/publications/the-crisis-in-the-justice-system-in-england-wales/