CHARLIE'S LEGAL AID REFUSED
What a Nice Christmas Present!

On Christmas Eve Charlie received the following letter from the Legal Services Commission:

It seems from the first paragraph that they are now acting as judge and jury in surmising that Charlie would not win the case regarding his conditions and treatment at Long Lartin, Woodhill and Wakefield! Starved, beaten, attacked by a dog, sprayed, cut off from friends and family, withholding medical attention, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Yes, I can see how the courts would probably view that as reasonable treatment of a human being!

Application for legal aid was first applied for in September 2009 but it appears that the Commission "mislaid" it until it was out of time and that it has been most unhelpful in a similar vein with successive applications ever since!

I suppose it's hardly surprising that one Government body (sponsored, I might add, by the Ministry of Justice) would be disinclined to assist in the matter of prosecuting another Government agency (HMPS) who are, coincidentally, also under the Ministry of Justice umbrella! Cosy, eh?

On their website the Legal Services Commission state: "The government provides funding for legal aid to help people: protect their basic rights and get a fair hearing, access the court process to sort out disputes and solve problems that contribute to social exclusion." Well, if Charlie doesn't fit ALL those criteria then I don't know who does!

But wait, there's a bit more ...

Take a look at the postmark on Charlie's letter to me. He wrote and submitted it for posting on the 24th December 2010 and the prison posted it out on the 4th January 2011* ... that's more than two weeks later. Now, notice anything about that date? 4th January? Well, it's the day AFTER the deadline date in the letter. Coincidence?

*6th January 2011 stamp was made by me the day I received the letter