BURIED at the back of the government bill to reform how criminals are punished are proposals which could punish vulnerable people injured through no fault of their own.

It is an affront to justice that people with the most serious of injuries could be denied the chance to pursue fair redress, as the ability of lawyers to fund complex cases on a no-win no-fee basis will be restricted.

Moreover, it is grossly unfair that an innocent injured person would have to pay some of his legal costs from his much-needed damages. Damages are carefully calculated to put lives back on track, not to cover legal costs. It is only right that wrongdoers are held to account for the injuries they cause.

I, and many other members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), believe the impact of these proposals must be brought to your readers’ attention before it’s too late.

MARK KITELEY, Member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, Kiteleys Solicitors, St