A POOR MAN AND TI L+ ' LAW
[To the Editor of the SPEcrxroa.] Sirt,—Being unable to secure payment for certain work done, I went to the Poor People's Lawyer at the Law Courts, thinking that he would take up my case. I was asked how much did I claim, and answered that it was under £10, whereupon I was informed that no cases were considered unless they were for at least £100, and that I must go to the County Court.
At the County Court, of course, I should have had to take out a summons—pay for the privilege, or, in other words, buy justice or rather the chance of it—and as I had no money to risk in such speculation (did not fancy risking throwing good money after bad), I preferred not to take that risk. So I lose the money to which I consider I was entitled, and my debtor scores—retains the money he ought to have been made pay me. According to Magna Charts, our much-vaunted great bulwark of liberty, justice is not to be bought and sold. But what else is it but buying justice if you have to pay for a summons to obtain money due to you
What is wanted, and that badly, is a proper Poor Man's Lawyer, a Government official, who will take up your case even if you only claim a few pounds. In present circum- stances, people fear to take legal action lest, instead Of getting what is due to them, they lose money. " Oh, don't go to law," friends advise you ; and even lawyers will oracularly tell you- " The judge may decide in your favour, and he may not."
What is the result ? Poor people allow themselves to be defrauded rather than risk, as I said before, throwing good money after bad. And, knowing this and what a trouble an honest person has to obtain justice in our courts—how the latter will hesitate before he tries to-•—your dishonest person will refuse to pay, up to the last, until compelled by the slow and expensive process of the law perhaps to do so.
Mr. Justice McCardie, in the King's Bench Division, has recently protested against the high costs incurred when claiming for small sums. He asked counsel in a case involving about E180 to tryto come to a settlement. " He was," he said, " think- ing, of litigants ; the costs in many cases where small sums were involved seemed never ending."—I am, dic.
HORACE J. ANDREWS.
28 Ulverston Road, Upper Walthamstow, Landon, E. 17.
[Our correspondent brings to light a social evil which has not been eliminated by the growth of small solicitors' practice in most of our towns. Recent observations by dis- tinguished members of the legal profession lead us to hope that some remedy will be discovered and applied. Nevertheless; the County Court judges take great pains to help poor people appearing before them, whether as creditors or debtors.—En. Spectator.]
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