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Annual Report 2006-2007 During a year where major changes and developments were made to improve legal aid, people benefited from 408,654 grants of legal assistance, according to our Annual Report for 2006-2007. The cost to the taxpayer of legal aid was £150.2 million, an increase of 2% or £2.3 million. The increase reverses the fall in costs seen the previous year and has brought spending to the second highest ever level. The increase in the overall cost of legal aid was mainly due to higher costs for criminal legal aid, which increased 3% to £92.7 million, and a 5% increase in the cost of civil legal aid – the first rise in the cost of civil legal aid for five years. The increase in criminal costs is due to more cases, and in solemn criminal legal aid – for the most serious charges – a larger number of high cost cases that meant on average each case cost more. The reports says that the year saw significant developments to legal aid, which are bringing improvements to the legal aid system. The key change was the Scottish Parliament passing the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 which gives powers that will increase access to justice. Significant progress was also made in legal aid reforms, including simplifying civil legal assistance, developing criminal legal assistance reforms and on legal aid fees. Changes were also made that are increasing access to justice, including extending the time period where someone who has to pay a contribution towards the costs of their civil legal aid case. Read:
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