'People who beat their partners may go unpunished without legal free aid'

Families could lose their homes and people who beat their partners may go unpunished without free legal aid, the Chief Executive of Free Legal Advice Centres has warned. Eilis Barry said that vulnerable families could not enjoy the rights and protections afforded under new domestic violence and conveyance legislation without legal representation.

“If people are not represented in these situations, the effectiveness of the legislation is reduced," she said.