Legal aid news and updates - May 2015

In November 2014, the Law Society’s Legal Aid Committee published a discussion paper on legal assistance in Scotland. The consultation period closed on 30 January 2015.

We received over 50 responses from individuals and organisations. We have published these responses along with our consultation report. After analysing the consultation responses, in May 2015 we published our 18 key proposals in our recommendations paper Legal Assistance in Scotland - Fit for the 21st Century.

Read the consultation responses

Read the consultation report

Read the 18 key proposals in our recommendations paper Legal Assistance in Scotland - Fit for the 21st Century

Our proposals include:

• broad recommendations on the Scottish Government’s funding for legal assistance
• introducing a block fee for police station advice
• introducing a single grant of civil legal aid (abolishing advice and assistance/assistance by way of representation/legal aid distinctions)

If you have any queries or comments, or to find out more about the Society's work on legal aid, please contact us on legalaid@lawscot.org.uk. You can also join the conversation on twitter @lawscot #legalaid and via our LinkedIn Legal Aid group.