COP26 legal aid issues are a 'generation in the making'

Law Society of Scotland President Ken Dalling has met with the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety Ash Regan today, Monday, 25 October to discuss legal aid. In advance of the meeting Mr Dalling wrote to the Minister. highlighting that current issues surrounding legal aid had been a generation in the making.

Ken Dalling said: “We were pleased to get the opportunity to meet with the Minister today. We used the discussion to once again highlight the access to justice crisis emerging throughout Scotland as the number of legal aid firms fall and fewer new solicitors choose a career in legal aid work. The challenges around COP26 are a generation in the making and come after successive governments allowed legal aid fees to wither on the vine. We have repeatedly said that package announced almost a year ago in no way solved the chronic underfunding in legal aid by government.

“The solution is in the Ministers’ own hands and it is a simple solution too. They must invest properly in legal aid and ensure solicitors get paid fairly for the work they do to help. Without a serious long-term funding model, many of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society risk being left without the legal advice and services they need and deserve."