Legal Representation
"To no person … in our courts… will we deny justice" - so said Magna Carta. It took another 750 years to bring free legal aid to the man in the street so he too could obtain justice ! But it's here, it's still alive and it's worth defending.
In the criminal courts, it's the court which decides whether you can have Legal Aid. You must satisfy the Court that your case is serious enough to justify a lawyer paid by the State. So you must be at serious risk of your liberty or there must be a real legal case to argue. In many cases there is now no initial means test, but you may be ordered to pay all or part of the cost at the end.
In civil and family cases, it's the Legal Services Commission which makes the decision. They need to be satisfied about the means test and that you have a reasonable prospect of success. Some court cases, especially those concerning children or domestic violence, are important in their own right. If the dispute is about money or property, the Commission may be concerned that the cost of the case is proportionate to what is actually in dispute.