Legal Aid Reform : the way ahead
On this page:
- Response to consultation
- Regulatory Impact Assessment
- Otterburn Legal Consulting Report
- Other research commissioned relating to legal aid reforms
Response to consultation
The LSC and its sponsoring government department, the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), outlined a major programme of reforms for legal aid on Tuesday 28 November aimed at ensuring the system remains sustainable for the future.
'Legal Aid Reform: the Way Ahead' flows from Lord Carter's independent review of how legal aid services are purchased and the consultation that followed.
The LSC has endorsed Lord Carter's key recommendation to move payment for legal aid services from a system of hourly rates to one of best value tendering based on quality, capacity and price. Fixed and graduated fees will be introduced as part of this.
We received 2,372 responses to the consultation, and also heard from providers and representative bodies at a series of information events held during the consultation. These responses have significantly influenced our thinking and as a result we have adjusted the timing and detail of changes to some of the schemes.
Please see Related Documents for:
- Note on Not-for-Profit Contract 2007
- the Way Ahead paper
- the full consultation analysis paper
- a timetable for the changes and future consultations
- a summary of consultation changes outlining what has changed since the consultation.
Regulatory Impact Assessment
We have published a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on these policy changes. The RIA is under Related Documents. It also covers our Preferred Supplier Scheme: consultation response. There are seven Appendices to accompany the RIA:
- Appendix A - TFF Replacement Modelling
- Appendix B - TFF Replacement Charges
- Appendix C - TFF Replacement Scheme Regional Average Costs Ranges by Salaries
- Appendix D - Peer Review Quality and Cost Data
- Appendix E - Average Distance Travelled by Clients Seeking Civil Legal Advice
- Appendix F - An Analysis of Urban vs Rural Cases
- Appendix G - Implementation and Delivery Plans
They are all under Related Documents.
Otterburn Legal Consulting Report
Following publication of Lord Carter's recommendations for the procurement of legal aid, we commissioned analysis from Otterburn Legal Consulting, on a confidential basis, into the potential impact on the criminal legal aid supplier base of proposed fixed fee arrangements proposed by Lord Carter.
The report was considered alongside the responses to the consultation papers and a range of other information, much of which has already been published.
Now that we have developed our thinking on the way forward for criminal legal aid, which we are consulting on, we are publishing this research in the interests of openness and transparency.
The report and an explanatory background note are under Related Documents.
Other research commissioned relating to legal aid reforms
Other interested parties and stakeholders have also commissioned research in relation to Lord Carter’s proposals for the procurement of legal services.
A list or research and details on how to access the reports is under Related Documents.
Last updated: 13 September 2007