Strategic Review of the delivery of legal aid, advice and information

BRIEFING NOTE No. 2 - May 2004

This document is also available as a  Adobe Acrobat PDF  file.

PROGRESS REPORT TO THE END OF MAY 2004

• The Review process is on track. The Reference Group has met four times since the beginning of the Review and a fifth meeting is scheduled for mid-June.
  
  
• Stage 2 of the Review has already been completed. During this phase the Review Team has carried out the following activities:
  • engagement with a wide range of stakeholders
  • exploration of the fundamentals of publicly funded legal services: the purpose, the methods for delivery and the principles for prioritising
  • identification and analysis of the possible options for improvement and change
  • study of the legal aid delivery systems in other jurisdictions
  • investigation of the issues surrounding the forecasting of legal aid expenditure
  • analysis of the roles and responsibilities of the Scottish Executive and Scottish Legal Aid Board and the relationship between them
    
    
• Stage 3 is reaching its conclusion. The Review Team has undertaken a second round of meetings with stakeholders to discuss in more detail the feasibility of possible options for improvement. The Team has also consulted with stakeholders on criminal issues to take into account of both the McInnes Review of Summary Justice and the SLAB's Review of Criminal Legal Assistance. The legal and financial implications of the possible options and the necessary steps to ensure best value in the delivery of publicly funded legal services are also being considered at this stage. Work on the drafting of the Report is ongoing.
  
  
• Whilst the Review Team has invited stakeholders to submit their views on the issues set out in the terms of reference (see list at Appendix A), it has also been able to meet a large number of them in various locations across Scotland (see list at Appendix B).

This information is also published on the Scottish Executive's website.