Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Wera Hobhouse and Bambos Charalambous(5 years, 5 months ago)
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Bambos Charalambous (Enfield, Southgate) (Lab)
Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)
Court Closures: Access to Justice
Debate between Wera Hobhouse and Bambos Charalambous(5 years, 6 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Bambos Charalambous
I plead not guilty to being a defendant.
While what the hon. Gentleman has said may be the case, the fact remains that those costs are incurred initially by the person making the journey, which causes hardship in the short term.
Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)
Is it not also true that people often do not know exactly what the procedures are and are deterred by uncertainty about the costs that they will face?
Bambos Charalambous
The hon. Lady is absolutely right. Many people do not obtain the legal advice that they need to make such informed decisions, and that, too, is part of the problem.