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Legal Aid Agency

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Majolie1912 (talk | contribs) at 14:44, 17 March 2021 (Added references (inline citations) from secondary sources as requested from July 2013.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Legal Aid Agency
Formation1 April 2013
Legal statusExecutive Agency
HeadquartersLondon
Region served
United Kingdom
Chief Executive
Jane Harbottle
Websitewww.gov.uk/government/organisations/legal-aid-agency

The Legal Aid Agency is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the United Kingdom. It provides both civil and criminal legal aid and advice in England and Wales.[1] The agency was formed on 1 April 2013 as a replacement for the Legal Services Commission, a non-departmental public body of the MoJ. This change was enacted by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 to allow for greater ministerial control over the UK government's legal aid budget.

Chief executive

Until recently, the agency's Chief Executive, the Director of Legal Casework, was Shaun McNally (since April 2016.)[2] However, in March 2021 this role has now been taken over by Jane Harbottle, who has herself confirmed "it is an honour."[3]

The Chief Executive's role primarily involved achieving the departments policies, ensuring a diverse and competent workforce, as well as making sure the Legal Aid Agency meets statutory obligations.[4] It is also his or her decision about legal aid funding in individual cases.[5]

Achievements

In 2019, the Legal Aid Agency processed 91% of civil applications for legal aid within 20 days, and 100% of crime applications within 2 days. In total, they processed 400,000 applications for legal aid.[4]

Criticism

The Legal Aid Agency has been criticised by the Law society because many areas of the country have little or no legal aid providers.[6] Additionally, there have been disapprovals of the Legal Aid Agency's handling of exceptional case funding (ECP). ECP is legal funding for a case even though it does not fall within the scope of LASPO.[7] They Legal Aid Agency had planned for 5,000 to 7,000 applications for ECP in the first year post LASPO, however only achieved 1,520.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Legal Aid Agency". Gov.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Shaun McNally CBE". Gov.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "Jane Harbottle appointed legal aid agency chief executive". Gov.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b "Legal Aid Agency Annual Reports and Accounts" (PDF). Gov.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "The Legal Aid Agency". linkedin. Retrieved 17 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "LASPO 4 years on: Law Society Review". The Law Society. Retrieved 17 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Legal aid: apply for exceptional case funding". Gov.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Sarah Moore, Alex Newbury (2017). Legal aid in crisis: Assessing the impact of reform. Bristol: Bristol University Press. p. 39.


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