Annual Report 2007-2008

We have published our annual report, showing over the past year:

• over 359,000 grants of legal assistance were made
• a reduction in the number of applications for criminal legal assistance
• a slowdown in the reduction of civil legal aid applications
• increases in mental health cases
• increases in cases concerning social welfare issues such as debt and housing
• increases in cases involving adults with incapacity.

Over the past year, the public benefited from 359,354 grants of legal assistance.

£155.1 million was spent on legal aid, up 3% on 2006-07.

This rise is mainly because of a significant increase in grants by the courts in the most serious criminal cases over the previous two years.  Costs included:

• £110.5 million for criminal legal assistance - up 4%
• £39.8 million for civil legal assistance - up 2%.

Iain A Robertson CBE, Chairman commented, “Over the past year we have made significant progress. Our report sets out some of the main ways we achieved this and sets the scene for a challenging year ahead.  Looking forward, the Board believes that more can be done to further increase value for money in legal aid, to provide better access to justice for people who need it and to better align the important services we support with the Government’s key outcomes for Scotland.”

Read:

• Annual Report 2007 - 2008 - in pdf format
  
  
• Media information including news release
  
  
• Payments made information for firms of solicitors, advocates and solicitor-advocates
  
  
• Previous annual reports