Select committee: Justice Committee
Recommendation 12
3rd Report - The Future of Legal Aid
Published 27 Jul 2021
Paragraph 53
Addressed to Ministry of Justice
Justice Committee The Future of Legal Aid All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The current criminal legal aid system does not provide enough incentives for legal representatives to take early action to progress cases through the system as quickly as possible. The legal aid fee structure should incentivise early engagement between defence lawyers and the police and the CPS. We note that the Government has sought to make changes to pre-charge engagement, but more changes are needed. The current system does not do enough to recompense lawyers for taking on complex cases at the police station and at the magistrates’ court. Investing more in early engagement will lead to savings to the public purse, as cases would be resolved at an earlier stage, which could free up capacity across the criminal justice system.
From: Justice Committee, 3rd Report - The Future of Legal Aid (HC 70), paragraph 53, 27 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 16 November 2021 (deadline 27 September 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds mainly by pointing to ongoing reviews and pilots, in particular the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, and does not set out firm decisions on most recommendations.
- On criminal legal aid fees and sustainability, it says it "will address this issue" in its response to Sir Christopher Bellamy's review, and has "committed to responding to the Review's final report before the end of 2021".
- On the means test, it says it intends to publish the Means Test Review "alongside a public consultation shortly", and will address the report's related points following that consultation.
- On civil legal aid, it is "already considering" sustainability internally and is developing an early legal advice pilot in social welfare law, with further details to be announced "in due course".
- On judicial directions for Exceptional Case Funding, it says the Legal Aid Agency takes decisions "completely free from outside influence" and it does "not believe that this position should change".