--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When legal aid was first introduced in…" description: "\"When legal aid was first introduced in 1949, the late Arthur Skeffington said that the law at that time was like The Ritz, in that those who could affo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75c/jeremy-corbyn-3212_access_when-legal-aid-was-first-introduced-in-1_3225209.jpg" --- # When legal aid was first introduced in 1949, the late… ![“When legal aid was first introduced in 1949, the late Arthur Skeffington said that the law at that time was like The Ritz, in that those who could afford to pay had access to it, while those who could not did not.” quote by Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75c/jeremy-corbyn-3212_access_when-legal-aid-was-first-introduced-in-1_3225209.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75c/jeremy-corbyn-3212_access_when-legal-aid-was-first-introduced-in-1_3225209.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75c/jeremy-corbyn-3212_access_when-legal-aid-was-first-introduced-in-1_3225209.jpg) > “When legal aid was first introduced in 1949, the late Arthur Skeffington said that the law at that time was like The Ritz, in that those who could afford to pay had access to it, while those who could not did not.” [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The legal system was accessible only to the wealthy, excluding the poor from justice. **In simple terms:** Law favored the rich, leaving the poor without help. Key Takeaway Advocate for universal legal aid. Themes justice inequality access policy rights Mood concerned determined hopeful Type political advocacy social justice When to use this quote - low‑income families seeking counsel - community legal clinics - policy reform discussions - pro bono initiatives Key Concepts Legal aid social equity class disparity Questions to Reflect On - How can we fund legal aid sustainably? - What barriers prevent the poor from accessing justice? A Different Perspective Implementation costs and political resistance can limit expansion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Ritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritz/) ## Related quotes > [Legal aid... is fundamental to giving everybody in this country access to justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/legal-aid-is-fundamental-to-giving-everybody-in-this-country-access/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [When I was in the Army, I read a book by Adlai Stevenson. He said law was as noble as saving a person's life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sanderson/when-i-was-in-the-army-i-read-a-book-by-adlai-stevenson-he-said-law/) [William Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sanderson/) > [You might think otherwise, but it doesn't naturally follow that because a law has been passed by Congress and signed by the president, said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/you-might-think-otherwise-but-it-doesn-t-naturally-follow-that/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [If you would have said, in law school, would it be more likely that I would be working on a book or on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/if-you-would-have-said-in-law-school-would-it-be-more-likely-that-i/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [“You can’t tolerate a decent and swift conclusion to a skirmish between an individual and what you call society, as long as you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-stout/you-can-t-tolerate-a-decent-and-swift-conclusion-to-a-skirmish/) [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) > [“Meeks was telling him about the value of work. He said that it had been his personal experience that if you wanted to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/meeks-was-telling-him-about-the-value-of-work-he-said-that-it-had/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Access to our civil courts has been severely restricted by the combination of: the removal of legal aid from some cases based on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keir-starmer/access-to-our-civil-courts-has-been-severely-restricted-by-the/) [Keir Starmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keir-starmer/) > [Without legal aid, and the dedicated lawyers who deliver it, our system of justice would quite simply collapse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/without-legal-aid-and-the-dedicated-lawyers-who-deliver-it-our-system/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [ Far as I know, Legal Aid was invented to help poor people fight wrongs; \[the criminals\] are abusing the system, and the damned lawyers… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-barrett/far-as-i-know-legal-aid-was-invented-to-help-poor-people-fight-wrongs/) [Andrew Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-barrett/) > [We at the Bureau have the most exciting and satisfying jobs in the world. 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Some rail against handing taxpayers' money to criminals; others attack fat cat lawyers, while some argue that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/legal-aid-gets-a-bad-press-some-rail-against-handing-taxpayers-money/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [When I was 27 years old, I organized legal aid clinics to help low-income seniors. It was a life-altering experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-wyden/when-i-was-27-years-old-i-organized-legal-aid-clinics-to-help-low/) [Ron Wyden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-wyden/) > [Legal aid is central to righting wrongs and rectifying injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/legal-aid-is-central-to-righting-wrongs-and-rectifying-injustice/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) ## More by Jeremy Corbyn > [I believe in public ownership, but I have never favoured the remote nationalised model of the postwar era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/i-believe-in-public-ownership-but-i-have-never-favoured-the-remote/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [There is a democratic process in the party, and that can be operated at any time. 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