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Editorial: What’s the Fuss About Litigants in Person? - Aidan Ellis, Temple Garden Chambers

25/11/11. According to the old joke the man who represents himself has a fool for a client. If the coalition’s attack on legal aid is passed, many more DIY lawyers may find themselves in this position. Lawyers have been amongst the first to criticise attempts to restrict legal aid. But it is easy for governments to shrug off their concerns: after all lawyers have a vested interest in discouraging the public from representing themselves and problems in individual cases can always be dismissed as anecdotal evidence. Against this background, it is perhaps worth trying to explain why I shudder at the thought of more litigants representing themselves.

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