Mediation Matters: A cast iron commitment to maintain legal aid for family mediation?

So the new Justice Secretary wants to avoid further legal aid cuts preferring instead to sell off some of the court estate. That’s the way Michael Gove’s speech this week to the Legatum Institute was painted by those in the media who chose not to focus on an apparent wish for wealthy lawyers 'to contribute a little more' in pro bono work.

It would be good to think Mr Gove’s statement is an acknowledgment that the court system as it is faced by families is cumbersome slow and in need of reform. And that his comments represent an enduring commitment to protect the legal aid budget for families who need it. If only it did.

It’s true that for electoral reasons new governments tend to make unpopular announcements and changes early in the Parliamentary term allowing their impact to have withered by election time. So a sigh of relief on legal aid is understandable.

But look carefully at the words used: 'It makes more sense to deliver a more efficient court estate than for example make further big changes to the legal aid system.'

Is that a...

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