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Select Committee · Justice Committee

The Future of Legal Aid

Status: Closed Opened: 7 Sep 2020 Closed: 14 Sep 2023 32 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry is looking at the major challenges facing legal aid clients and providers and how they might be tackled. The legal aid system in England and Wales was fundamentally changed by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LAPSO). Since then, there have been several legislative changes and post-legislative reviews of … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - The Future of Legal Aid HC 70 27 Jul 2021 43 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
32 Recommendation 3rd Report - The Future of Legal Aid Rejected

We recognise the strength of Richard Miller’s suggestion that judges should be empowered to make...

We recognise the strength of Richard Miller’s suggestion that judges should be empowered to make a direction that an individual needs representation and that it should be binding on the Legal Aid Agency to provide exceptional case funding in that case. Such an approach could increase access to justice for … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation for judges to make binding directions on exceptional case funding, stating the LAA's independent role should not change, but notes ongoing work to improve ECF scheme guidance.
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Ministry of Justice
40 Recommendation 3rd Report - The Future of Legal Aid Rejected

We welcome the Legal Aid Agency’s work to respond to legal aid providers concerns in...

We welcome the Legal Aid Agency’s work to respond to legal aid providers concerns in relation to the “culture of refusal”. We also recognise their commitment to ensure that taxpayers’ money is managed properly. We acknowledge that the staff and leadership at the Legal Aid Agency have limited scope to … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the committee's premise that the LAA prioritises "error rate" over other considerations, stating the agency maintains a balanced approach. It highlights existing digital improvements and defers further consideration of a more flexible funding approach and administrative burdens to the ongoing Criminal Legal …
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Ministry of Justice

Correspondence

20 letters
DateDirectionTitle
21 Feb 2023 To cttee Letter from Mike Freer MP, Minister for Courts, Legal Services and Internationa…
21 Feb 2023 From cttee Letter to Mike Freer MP, Minister for Courts, Legal Services and International,…
7 Feb 2023 To cttee Letter from Lubna Shuja, President of the Law Society, dated 30 January 2023, f…
25 Jan 2023 To cttee Letter from Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair, Criminal Bar Association, dated 9 Januar…
6 Dec 2022 To cttee Letter from Mike Freer MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice, …
8 Sep 2022 To cttee Letter from Sarah Dines MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, dated 15 Au…
25 May 2022 To cttee Letter from the Bar Council, dated 24 May 2022, regarding income disparities at…
15 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from the Lord Chancellor, dated 14 March 2022, on the legal aid means te…
16 Nov 2021 From cttee Letter to the Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor on the response to the …
23 Jul 2021 — Family Law Roundtable Transcript 14 December 2020
24 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice, …
3 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for J…
27 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, …
13 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor & Secretary of State …
4 Nov 2020 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, …
23 Sep 2020 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, …
9 Sep 2020 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice, …
22 May 2020 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, …
28 Apr 2020 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, …
28 Apr 2020 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, …