Legal Aid

46-60 of 93 Articles
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Lawyers across Scotland are withdrawing from legal aid schemes due to their continuing dispute with the Scottish government over fees. Solicitors in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and the Borders are not participating in duty solicitor schemes in a move that should cause widespread delays to court proceedings

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A sharp fall in legal aid spending highlights the crisis across the sector. Commenting on the fall in legal aid spending from £130.9 million in 2020 to £99.1m in 2020-21, following publication of the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s annual report, the Law Society of Scotland has said the

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Dozens of solicitors gathered outside Holyrood yesterday to demonstrate their deep dissatisfaction with the Scottish government’s inaction to reform legal aid.Ken Dalling, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “This crisis has been a generation in the making and the system is

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The Scottish government has "no understanding" of the seriousness of the legal aid problem, a lawyer has said. The reaction follows a letter from from legal affairs minister Ash Regan to Ken Dalling, president of the Law Society of Scotland, and Julia McPartlin, president of the Scottish Solicitors

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The Law Society of Scotland has accused the Scottish government of dragging its feet on legal aid reform following the announcement of its programme for government. An independent legal aid review, which reported over three years ago, recommended an overhaul of the system. However, while the governm

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Defence lawyers around Scotland have gone on strike today after last-minute talks with the Scottish government to obtain additional payments from its resilience fund failed. The Scottish Solicitors Bar Association held talks with Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf over the remainder of the fund yesterda

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The Scottish government has made a conscious decision to deprive the legal aid system of funding. The number of lawyers able to service the scheme is dwindling. Wooed by COPFS or simply unwilling to be the sticking plaster in a broken system, they have left. As lawyers strike today, solicitor advoca

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The 'resilience fund' offered to criminal legal aid solicitors by the Scottish government is worth less than half of the money it has saved in legal aid payments over the pandemic as a result of the sharp decline in criminal business. The fund, of which only a fraction has been paid, is worth a tota

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Legal aid fees have increased by five per cent across the board from today, the biggest increase in more than a decade – but the Law Society of Scotland has warned that more must be done to address a "generation of underfunding". The Scottish government unveiled its revised legal aid package i

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The Scottish government's revised legal aid package has been welcomed by the Law Society of Scotland. Amanda Millar, president of the Law Society said: “This revised package is one we support as a positive step forward. £20 million of new money is a significant investment in a vital part

46-60 of 93 Articles