THE Law Society’s chief executive defended the decision to give MPs charged with theft after the expenses scandal legal aid.
Desmond Hudson said criticism over the move stigmatised the legal aid system and was “disappointing and unhelpful”.
Mr Hudson made his comments after former Labour MPs David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine were granted legal aid by the courts.
The decision prompted outrage from across the political spectrum.
The three ex-MPs and Tory peer Lord Hanningfield – who did not apply for legal aid – deny charges of theft by false accounting.
Mr Hudson said: “It is a principle of our legal system that anyone charged with a criminal offence before the Crown Court is entitled to legal representation. This is a vital part of ensuring that charges against a defendant must be fully proved in a fair trial. Stigmatising the legal aid system is disappointing and unhelpful.”
