MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
News Release (No:096/07) issued by The Government News Network on 10
July 2007
Public legal
education is vital in providing access to justice by making people
aware of their rights and responsibilities, Legal Aid minister
Lord Hunt said today.
Speaking during the launch of the report Developing Capable
Citizens: the role of Public Legal Education by the Public Legal
Education and Support Task Force , Lord Hunt said knowledge about
the law can change lives, improve life chances and enable active
participation in democracy.
Lord Hunt said:
"Public legal education can be a powerful agent of change in
the interests of the millions of people. It can also increase
public confidence the rule of law and create safe and cohesive communities.
"The Task Force has set out the case for increasing the
availability of public legal education, developing good practice,
improving evaluation, and longer-term funding.
"I will now discuss with colleagues in government how best
we can overcome the obstacles to effective public legal education".
"If we're serious about tackling inequality, then we
all need to provide the right education, information, support at
an early stage in appropriate ways."
Notes to Editors
1. The Public Legal Education and Support (PLEAS) Task Force was
established in January 2006
2. The Task Force is chaired by Professor Dame Hazel Genn DBE QC,
author of several influential research studies exploring the
problems that people experience in getting help from the legal
system on day-to-day problems
3. Task Force members had been appointed from a range of
organisations and sectors involved or interested in public legal
education. These members include representatives from Advice
Services Alliance; Citizens Advice; the Citizenship Foundation;
Legal Action Group; the Disability Rights Commission; the Bar
Council; the Office of Fair Trading and the Legal Services Commission.
4. For more information about the PLEAS Task Force and the full
report, please visit http://www.pleas.org.uk
http://www.justice.gov.uk
ENDS