HC Deb 30 June 1969 vol 786 cc27-8
35. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked Mr. Attorney-General whether he will arrange to have an investigation made into the operation and administration of the legal system with a view to expediting the procedure and lessening the costs ; and whether he will commission a firm of organisation and methods consultants to undertake such an investigation and to report.

The Attorney-General (Sir Elwyn Jones)

Various important aspects of the operation and administration of the legal system are or have recently been under investigation by the Royal Commission on Assizes and Quarter Sessions, the Law Commission and several departmental committees, many of whose recommendations have already been implemented. Our legal system is kept under continuous review. I do not, however, consider that any comprehensive investigation by a firm of consultants or otherwise would be either useful or practicable at this stage.

Mr. Lewis

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that there are many cases which in some instances take two, three and four years to reach the courts, and that very often it is extremely profit- able to keep cases going for a long time, so making it very expensive for litigants? Is this not the only profession of which it might be said that the longer a case goes on the better it is for those concerned?

The Attorney-General

I repudiate the suggestion that these delays are occasioned by the deliberate practice of the legal profession in prolonging cases for their own personal enrichment. That is an unworthy and unjustifiable accusation. However, that does not mean that we are not greatly concerned about delays in legal proceedings, and we are doing what we can about them.

Mr. Carlisle

Can the right hon. and learned Gentleman say when the Report of the Royal Commission to which he has referred will be published?

The Attorney-General

I hope in the autumn.

Mr. Whitaker

Will my right hon. and learned Friend study the comments of Lord Goodman last Thursday evening about the shortcomings of the system? Can he say when we shall have neighbourhood legal centres which that great Socialist country, the United States, had many years ago?

The Attorney-General

The latter suggestion is one of the matters which my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has referred to his Advisory Committee on Legal Aid. The views expressed by the noble Lord, Lord Goodman, I had the pleasure of hearing from the horse's mouth on Friday.