Availability of special urgency cover after full legal aid is refused

We can only grant legal aid in matters of special urgency where we are not yet satisfied if the statutory tests are met. However, we can reconsider refusals of legal aid applications.

If you have sent us a review or a second or subsequent application which we have accepted but not yet considered, you can:

• Seek special urgency cover legal aid for specified steps in proceedings before we decide on your full review or second or subsequent application

If you have not yet sent us a review or a second or subsequent application or if we do not accept it:

• It is not open to you to seek regulation 18 of the Children’s Legal Assistance (Scotland) Regulations 2013 legal aid as this is not competent
• You require to have actually submitted the review or second or subsequent application itself before a special urgency request can be considered