Serena Sutherland

First Minister John Swinney has used his first Programme for Government since the May election to pledge that a Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill will be delivered in his Year One Legislative Programme.

The announcement follows the launch in July of consultation for reform, underpinned by core principles that legal aid should continue to be broadly available, demand-led, delivered by publicly funded private solicitors and targeted towards those least able to pay.

Law Society of Scotland president Serena Sutherland said: “The Scottish government has acknowledged Scotland’s legal aid crisis by committing to this bill in the first year of the new Parliament. This is an enormously significant moment for our justice sector.

“Having a Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill among the first items in the government’s legislative programme is an important step but it is only one step towards restoring legal aid and access to justice in Scotland.

“The stakes here are high given how many vulnerable people are being failed by the current system. We will be working tirelessly to ensure this new bill restores access to justice and that legal aid work is a viable career path within the solicitor profession.

“The Law Society of Scotland will continue to engage with the Scottish government, with legal aid solicitors across the country and with the wider justice sector to ensure these reforms are a success.”