Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

When I was preparing the last edition of the book, in October 2012, the full details of how the legal aid scheme would work once the Legal Aid Agency had started its work, were not available. As a result of the changes that are now fully effective there is a number of points in the book that are now out of date.

1 The Funding Code (see p 273), under which the former Legal Services Commission operated, has been abolished. The new Legal Aid Agency works under the regulations that have been made under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. These include most importantly the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012/3098, see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/3098/contents/made; and the Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) Regulations 2013, see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/104/contents/made.

2 The Lord Chancellor’s priorities (p 273) are repealed and do not apply to the Legal Aid Agency.

3 Similarly the statement of Objectives for the Legal Services Commission (p 275) has been abolished and does not apply to the Legal Aid Agency