Legal aid reforms “too quick”

Summary

This Report ‘Implementation of the Carter Review of Legal Aid’ (HC 223-I) examines the Government's proposals for radical reform of the Legal Aid system, as set out in the Government's November 2006 White Paper ‘Legal Aid Reform: The way ahead’ (Cm. 6993) (Read more) published in November 2006.

These proposals follow on from three other documents:

The Government's long-term strategy for Legal Aid 'A fairer deal for legal aid' (Cm 6591) published in July 2005
Recommendations of the independent review of legal aid procurement undertaken by Lord Carter of Coles (Available to download) published in July 2006
A consultation paper jointly issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and the Legal Services Commission (LSC) (Available to download) published in July 2006.

The Government plans to change the basis on which Legal Aid is to be procured by introducing a transitional system of fixed and graduated fees for cases (rather than payment on an hourly basis as is the practice now in many areas of legal aid work) as a way of preparing for full competitive tendering for Legal Aid contracts by solicitors.

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Law-Making Explained

This is a House of Commons Paper (HC 223-I 2006-07): it is a Report from the House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee.

Find out more about Select Committees.

How does it affect me?

If you provide or benefit from Legal Aid services (publicly funded representation or legal advice), this affects you.

Overall, the Committee finds that while it supports the fundamental aims of the reforms and recognises that there is an urgent necessity to limit Legal Aid expenditure, the Government has introduced these plans too quickly, in too rigid a way and with insufficient evidence.