The Law Society calls upon the Lord Chancellor to commission and publish
an equality impact assessment on his proposed changes prior to implementation of the same.
Ministers did carry out
equality impact assessments looking at whether the cuts would have a disproportionate effect on women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals and disabled people.
The inadequate consultation, and a similarly flawed
equality impact assessment, meant that the council did not have sufficient information to discharge the disability equality duty.
Finally, when considering whether the Lord Chancellor had complied with the public sector equality duty under section 149 of the EqA when introducing the Fees Order, the Court of Appeal considered that
the equality impact assessment carried out at the relevant time was adequate to meet that duty.
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is denying claims that it has been forced to undertake race
equality impact assessments on legal aid reforms after judicial proceedings were launched against it.