The future of legal aid.
The Justice Committee published a report into the future of legal aid in 2021, calling for criminal legal aid fees to be restructured to ensure providers received a level of pay that reflected the work they carry out for their clients. In November 2021, the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review called for criminal legal aid to be increased by at least 15%, as well as wider reforms to fee schemes.
The Government has said it will provide an 11% overall increase to criminal legal aid fees for solicitors. However, the Law Society maintains that a minimum 15% rise is necessary to reflect the work that criminal lawyers do and ensure the practice remains a viable career in the legal profession.
In this session, the Committee examines the Government’s response to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review and their approach to addressing ongoing delays in the court system.
Meeting details