Annual update on the Criminal Quality Assurance Scheme for Criminal Legal Assistance

This update gives details on the statistics, issues and findings of the Criminal Quality Assurance scheme for the two year period between 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2019.

This is longer than previous reports as it covers the end of the first six year cycle of reviews which ran to the end of March 2019.

Overall, 93% of solicitors passed their first routine review in this cycle, with 81% of solicitors who failed passing at the next stage.

Outline of Criminal Quality Assurance scheme

All criminal solicitors who have registered o provide criminal legal assistance are subject to peer review.  The reviews are carried out over an initial six year cycle.  The process is overseen by our Criminal Quality Assurance Committee, which comprises three members appointed by us, three members appointed by the Law Society of Scotland, and three independent or non legal members appointed in consultation with the Society.

Criminal Quality Assurance Committee

During 2017 and 2018, the following people served on the Committee:

The Committee receives professional advice and support from Professor Alan Paterson OBE, Director of the Centre for Professional Legal Studies at the University of Strathclyde.  Professor Paterson, who is one of Europe’s leading experts on quality assurance systems in the legal profession, also provides training and oversees the work of the peer reviewers.

Further details of how the scheme operates are available on our website.

The full report and findings are available to download.

Further information

If you would like further information please contact:

• Kingsley Thomas – Head of Criminal Legal Assistance, Tel – 0131 240 2085, thomaski@slab.org.uk
• Edith Cook – Criminal QA Co-ordinator, Tel – 0131 240 2000, cooked@slab.org.uk