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Scottish Legal Aid Board vision for civil justice
Tuesday 25 August 1998
The Scottish Legal Aid Board today publishes its response to The Scottish
Executive consultation paper on the future of civil legal aid in Scotland.
In its response, the Board sets out its vision for reform of the whole
civil justice system and calls for increased access to a range of information
and legal services to help people deal with their legal problems in
the most appropriate way.
The Board's main proposals are that -
- a comprehensive community legal service be set up to meet
the needs of people with legal problems and help them to
resolve their disputes in the most appropriate way
- the Board should be able to employ solicitors to work
in advice agencies and other organisations
- the use of mediation to resolve disputes should be encouraged
by making solicitors, sheriffs and the public more aware
of the benefits
- a Code of Practice should be created and a registration
scheme introduced for civil legal aid practitioners and
advice agencies to ensure quality
- fixed fees and contracts should be introduced
to control the civil legal aid budget and ensure quality
of service for clients.
The Board believes that the cost involved
in implementing these reforms can be funded from savings in
criminal legal aid and by a more effective deployment of existing
resources.
Board Chairman, Jean Couper, said, "Everyone involved in
the provision of civil justice must seize this opportunity to
develop a first class system which meets the needs of the people
of Scotland. The Board has a key role to play in this process
and we see our proposals as a major step towards providing a
comprehensive community legal service. Next year civil legal
aid becomes the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament and
we look forward to taking forward these proposals in partnership
with the new Parliament."
Notes to editors
Read the Scottish
Legal Aid Board's full response to the above consultation
paper in Adobe Acrobat PDF format or Opening
the door - A summary of the Scottish Legal Aid Board's response
to "Access to Justice"
For a copy of the Board's full response to the consultation
paper or for further information please contact: Charlotte
Townsend, Communications Project Officer, at the Scottish
Legal Aid Board (0131 226 7061).
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