Scottish Legal Aid Board opens new Public Defence Solicitors’ Office in Orkney

Monday 26 March 2007

The Scottish Legal Aid Board has today (date) announced the opening of its newest Public Defence Solicitors’ Office (PDSO) in Orkney. The Kirkwall office is the first of six new offices planned as part of an expansion of the PDSO network announced by former Deputy Minister for Justice Hugh Henry MSP late last year.

Speaking of it’s newest addition, Lindsay Montgomery, Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Aid Board commented;

“We are delighted that the planned expansion of the PDSO network is continuing a pace. The appointment of David Edgar in Kirkwall, is a vital step in providing a holistic legal aid service to the people of Orkney and surrounds. It will fill current gaps in legal provision, whilst ensuring comprehensive access to criminal legal assistance and delivering greater choice to clients in Orkney.

Matthew Auchincloss, Director of the PDSO network in Scotland commented;

“The opening of our Kirkwall office follows on from the significant success of our existing offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness which have consistently demonstrated their value in providing quality, legally aided advice and representation. We aim to replicate this effectiveness across the expanded PDSO network as our newer offices mature”.

An experienced solicitor from Edinburgh, David Edgar will be providing criminal legal advice, assistance and representation to anyone entitled to legal aid and charged with a criminal offence. The Kirkwall office will serve Orkney and become part of a network of nine PDSO offices to be open around the country by the end of 2007.

David Edgar said:

“I am delighted to join the Public Defence Solicitors’ Office and look forward to developing a public defence service for the people of Orkney that assures them of equal and fair access to criminal legal advice, assistance and representation. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the private sector and hope that the service I offer will be of benefit to clients and solicitors alike as I aim to alleviate some of the pressure on the private practices in Orkney currently finding it difficult to meet demand for legally aided advice and representation in criminal cases.”

David will receive a share of duty plans for the area and other referral sources include the Procurator Fiscal’s Office, Sheriff Clerks Office, individual support agencies and voluntary organisations, as well as perhaps private solicitors who may not have the capacity to take on particular cases. Clients will also be able to access PDSO directly, through visiting the PDSO office at Harbour Street in Kirkwall or contacting their 24 hour freephone number: 0800 328 1222. This number covers all the PDSO offices throughout Scotland.

PDSO solicitors are paid an annual salary rather than being paid on a case by case basis in the way private solicitors operate. They are governed by the same rules as private solicitors. The network provides solicitors with alternative employment and training options and bring opportunities to test new ideas and greater partnership working with agencies to address the whole range of problems faced by people who have criminal charges including health, employment and drugs and alcohol abuse.

A further five PDSO offices are due to open in Ayr, Falkirk, Dundee, Aberdeen and Dumfries by the end of 2007, aiming to ensure that criminal legal assistance is available across Scotland through a combination of both private and public provision – a system that is now common around the world.

-Ends-

Notes for editors

1. PDSO operates a 24 hour freephone on 0800 328 1222.

2. Criminal legal assistance currently accounts for over 70% of legal aid expenditure - £104 million of the £147.9 million legal aid expenditure in 2005-2006. PDSO’s costs are met from legal aid expenditure, and were £819,000 in 2005-2006. PDSO handled 1,743 cases in 2005-2006, including 89 solemn cases.

3. When the first PDSO opened in Edinburgh in 1998, it was the first public defender service in the UK. Two more offices in Inverness and Glasgow opened in 2004. PDSO solicitors are paid a fixed annual salary, rather than being paid on a case by case basis in the way that private solicitors operate. The new PDSO offices will receive a share of duty plans in the area, and direction of clients will not be used.

4. The Scottish Legal Aid Board was responsible for setting up the PDSO and the Director of the PDSO reports to the Chief Executive of the Board on administrative issues. In all other ways, the PDSO operates entirely independently. The Board assesses applications for summary criminal legal aid from the PDSO in the same way that it does for applications submitted by private solicitors.

5. Legal aid allows people who would not otherwise be able to afford it to get help for their legal problems. Legal aid and advice and assistance can only be accessed through a solicitor. The Board’s mission is to promote the development and delivery of appropriate access to quality legal assistance for those eligible, in a cost-effective manner.

6. For more information on PDSO, visit www.pdso.org.uk and for the Scottish Legal Aid Board, visit www.slab.org.uk