3rd Report - The Future of Legal Aid
Select Committee
Justice Committee
HC 70
27 July 2021
Government response
4th Special Report - The Future of Legal Aid: Government Response to the Committee’s Third Report · published 16 Nov 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
2 results
32
Recommendation
Rejected
Para 118
We recognise the strength of Richard Miller’s suggestion that judges should be empowered to make...
Recommendation
We recognise the strength of Richard Miller’s suggestion that judges should be empowered to make a direction that an individual needs representation and that it should be binding on the Legal Aid Agency to provide exceptional case funding in that …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation for judges to make binding directions on exceptional case funding, stating the LAA's independent role should not change, but notes ongoing work to improve ECF scheme guidance.
Ministry of Justice
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40
Recommendation
Rejected
Para 150
We welcome the Legal Aid Agency’s work to respond to legal aid providers concerns in...
Recommendation
We welcome the Legal Aid Agency’s work to respond to legal aid providers concerns in relation to the “culture of refusal”. We also recognise their commitment to ensure that taxpayers’ money is managed properly. We acknowledge that the staff and …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the committee's premise that the LAA prioritises "error rate" over other considerations, stating the agency maintains a balanced approach. It highlights existing digital improvements and defers further consideration of a more flexible funding approach and administrative burdens to the ongoing Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review.
Ministry of Justice
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