Alex Cunningham MP welcomes High Court decision

Local MP Alex Cunningham has welcomed the High Court’s decision that the tendering process for new family law cases is unlawful and must be changed.

In Stockton North, the contracts awarded by the Legal Services Commission meant that legal aid provision was to be withdrawn from Billingham. Reacting to the High Court’s decision, Alex said:

“This is excellent news. I urged the Government and the Legal Services Commission to review this decision and received disappointing responses.

I am pleased that the High Court judges have ruled the tendering process is unfair and unlawful. They are absolutely right that it would have prevented the vulnerable and deprived from obtaining the services of family lawyers.

I hope we will now end up with a more sensible approach, which will not exclude people in Billingham and many more across the country who would have lost out had this process been upheld by the High Court.”