Press Releases

Legal Aid Minister Willy Bach and Sir Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Legal Services Commission, today praised legal aid lawyers for their dedication to a fundamental service that underpins the justice system and to their commitment in meeting the challenges ahead.

Speaking at the Legal Action Group's conference marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the legal aid system Willy Bach said: “Legal aid is a vital service that helps people in times of real need, which is why the government remains committed to ensuring it is available to all those who need it most. On its 60th anniversary, legal aid continues to help more than 2 million people each year.”

To coincide with the conference, Willy Bach released a Ministry of Justice report into the provision of legal advice at a local level.

“I announced this study at the end of last year and welcome the input of the steering group, which included legal advice providers. They have presented great insight about their experiences and concerns.

“I look forward to working with this group as we respond to the recommendations in this study. In the 60th year of legal aid, the Government remains committed to ensuring that legal aid expenditure is sustainable, and that those vulnerable people most in need get the right help at a cost that is fair to practitioners and fair to the taxpayer.”

Sir Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Legal Services Commission, and Carolyn Regan, Chief Executive of the Legal Services Commission, joined Lord Bach in recognising the success of the legal aid reform programme and looked forward to future developments that will enable even more people to obtain access to justice.

Focusing on civil advice services, Sir Bill Callaghan said: “The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has responded quickly and effectively to the economic downturn in a number of ways. This includes allocating 20% more cases in debt, housing, employment and family matters so that practitioners can meet increases in demand. We have also expanded our Housing Possession Court Duty Schemes so that people can receive last-minute advice on keeping their home just before their court hearing.

“In addition, we have expanded our Community Legal Advice (CLA) telephone advice so that it is now open on Saturday morning and will also be open on weekday evenings from next month. From August, the new family CLA service goes live, which we anticipate will enable a further 25,000 people a year with family law problems will be helped.

“The fact that last year the LSC funded over 1 million civil acts of assistance is a genuine cause for celebration. Looking forward we in the LSC aim to become a smart commissioner of services and act as a discerning consumer. We will use the purchasing power of legal aid to shape the market and benefit potential clients.”

Carolyn Regan addressed the issue of best value tendering for criminal defence services, saying: “Best Value Tendering is designed to encourage efficiency, quality and good practice and will enable more people to be helped within the resources available.

“The proposals currently being consulted on will ensure high quality services are available for clients, while obtaining the best value for taxpayers' money. They will allow providers themselves, regardless of their size and structure, to set the price for a quality, efficient and sustainable service, reflecting variations in cost in each criminal justice area. Firms will tender for the right amount of work for them to optimise their business, by bidding for work on an equal basis, with an equal chance of winning.”

Media information

Daniel Kellingley, LSC Press Office:  Tel: 020 7783 7220
Jo Oakes, MoJ Press Office:   Tel: 020 3334 3513

Notes to editors

• The Ministry of Justice study of legal advice at local level can be accessed at the Ministry of Justice website.
• A full breakdown of the million acts of assistance will be available in the LSC annual report which will be published in July.
• Details of the consultation on best value tendering for criminal defence services can be found on the LSC’s website.