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Information about legal aid

• About the Scottish Legal Aid Board
• About legal aid
• PDSO
• part V innovative advice projects
• Research
• Contact details

We recently published our Corporate Plan for 2006-2009, which sets out our work plans to deliver further changes in legal assistance in the coming three years.

Our Annual Report 2004-2005 provides key facts and figures in legal assistance and developments in delivering and improving legal assistance over the year.

Read:

• Corporate Plan 2006-2009 (pdf format)
  
  
• You can read our full Annual Report 2004-2005 (pdf format) or the news release with summary of key changes. We also publish information on payments made to firms of solicitors, solicitor advocates and advocates
  
  
• Our Annual Review 2003-2004 (pdf format) provides a succinct overview of changes in legal aid in that year. Our Annual Report 2003-2004 (pdf) provides more details on the year.

About legal aid

We publish a number of information leaflets for the public about the different types of legal assistance. Amongst these leaflets, the following provide a simple introduction to legal aid:

• Civil legal assistance - a simple guide
  
  
• Do I qualify financially for advice and assistance or civil legal aid? The leaflet includes the financial eligibility limits from 10 April 2006. For advice and assistance, you can use our online calculator to see if you qualify or use our online calculator for civil legal aid.
  
  
• Criminal legal assistance if you are not in custody

• Finding your nearest legal aid solicitor - someone can use our website to find their nearest solicitor who is registered with us to provide legal assistance, by entering a town or postcode, or clicking on a map of Scotland. They can also search by the type of legal assistance they are seeking, or by the name of the solicitor firm. They will then be shown the 20 firms closest to you.
  
  
• We also operate a Legal Aid Helpline on 0845 122 8686 to provide members of the public with information on legal aid, including finding a legal aid solicitor. The helpline is open 7 days a week, 7am to 11pm.
  
  
• For legal professionals and advisors, we publish a wide range of information about how the legal aid system operates. Our Scottish Legal Assistance Handbooks provide comprehensive information on guidance and the legislation on legal aid. You can access our Handbooks online.

You can read more information and further leaflets in our getting legal help section (leaflets are also available in a range of other community languages and formats).

PDSO - Public Defence Solicitor's Office

PDSO operates from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. You can read more:

• information about its history including the Scottish Executive research report and how the new offices have been developed
• about its services

Part V innovative advice projects

Our innovative legal advice Part V pilot projects see solicitors employed directly by the Board working in partnership with local advice giving organisations. The projects allow the Board to continue our pioneering work in identifying new approaches to delivering legal advice in communities across Scotland as well as improving access to justice. Read more about the current Part V projects.

Research

The Board has published a number of research reports into civil legal aid. You can read more about these including how to obtain summaries of the report or download the full research reports by clicking on the titles below:

• Distribution of the supply of legal aid in Scotland - Research report on the supply and use of civil advice and assistance and civil legal aid in Scotland 1996/97 to 2000/01
• Legal aid in a changing world - Research into the reduction in civil legal aid applications in Scotland between 1992 and 2001

Contact details

Our website contains a wide range of other information. You may find it useful to use our search to find specific information.

If you wish to request any of these publications in print format, please send us an email with your request and contact details or call Colin Sim on 0131 240 2033.

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