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Legal Assistance in Scotland Fit for the 21St Century Consultation Responses

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Legal Assistance in Scotland Fit for the 21St Century Consultation Responses LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN SCOTLAND FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CONSULTATION RESPONSES CONTENTS AIRDRIE FACULTY OF SOLICITORS ............................................................................................................... 4 AIRDRIE FACULTY OF SOLICITORS, CIVIL RESPONSE....................................................................... 4 AIRDRIE FACULTY OF SOLICITORS, MEETING REPORT ................................................................ 10 ALAN HUTCHESON ......................................................................................................................................... 11 FIRST RESPONSE.......................................................................................................................................... 11 SECOND RESPONSE ................................................................................................................................... 11 ASSOCIATION OF PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS ................................................................................. 12 BRIAN TAIT ......................................................................................................................................................... 15 CITIZENS ADVICE SCOTLAND ..................................................................................................................... 19 CLIFF CULLEY ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 CROWN OFFICE AND PROCURATOR FISCAL SERVICE ...................................................................... 25 DAVID KINLOCH ............................................................................................................................................... 30 DUNCAN HENDERSON .................................................................................................................................. 31 DUNCAN WOODS ........................................................................................................................................... 32 EDINBURGH BAR ASSOCIATION ................................................................................................................ 33 EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS ASSOCIATION ................................................................................................ 39 EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ................................................................................. 47 FACULTY OF ADVOCATES ............................................................................................................................. 48 FACULTY OF ADVOCATES EMPLOYMENT LAW GROUP ................................................................... 52 FAMILY LAW ASSOCIATION ......................................................................................................................... 55 GERRY KELLY ...................................................................................................................................................... 59 GLASGOW BAR ASSOCIATION ................................................................................................................... 60 JOHN PRYDE ...................................................................................................................................................... 67 1 JOHN QUINN ..................................................................................................................................................... 68 JOURNAL OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND ................................................................................. 69 IAN SMITH .......................................................................................................................................................... 74 LAW SOCIETY COMMITTEES ........................................................................................................................ 75 ADMINISTRATIVE JUSTICE ....................................................................................................................... 75 EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY ...................................................................................................................... 76 EQUALITIES LAW ......................................................................................................................................... 77 LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND DISCUSSION EVENT ............................................................................ 80 LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND: CRIMINAL LEGAL AID PRACTITIONERS FORUM ..................... 83 LIAM ROBERTSON ........................................................................................................................................... 85 MARCUS BROWN ............................................................................................................................................ 86 NICOLE BUSBY .................................................................................................................................................. 88 PAUL BROWN .................................................................................................................................................... 91 FIRST RESPONSE.......................................................................................................................................... 91 SECOND RESPONSE ................................................................................................................................... 91 THIRD RESPONSE ........................................................................................................................................ 91 PAUL CRUIKSHANK ......................................................................................................................................... 93 PETER LOCKHART ............................................................................................................................................ 96 POLICE SCOTLAND .......................................................................................................................................... 98 SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION OF LAW CENTRES ......................................................................................... 99 FIRST RESPONSE.......................................................................................................................................... 99 SECOND RESPONSE ................................................................................................................................. 100 SCOTTISH COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE .......................................... 105 SCOTTISH COUNCIL OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS ............................................................... 109 2 SCOTTISH COURT SERVICE ........................................................................................................................ 111 SCOTTISH LEGAL AID BOARD ................................................................................................................... 112 SHELTER SCOTLAND ..................................................................................................................................... 119 SIMON BROWN .............................................................................................................................................. 123 STUART HUNTER ............................................................................................................................................ 124 SUPPORTING OFFENDERS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES NETWORK ..................................... 126 TOGETHER (SCOTTISH ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ........................................................ 128 VICTIM SUPPORT SCOTLAND ................................................................................................................... 130 Additional Responses - Some respondents have asked for their comments to remain confidential. These responses have not been included in this report. 3 AIRDRIE FACULTY OF SOLICITORS AIRDRIE FACULTY OF SOLICITORS, CIVIL RESPONSE Introduction Following the recent publication of the discussion paper on the Future of Legal Aid, extensive consideration has been given to its contents by the civil practitioners of The Airdrie Faculty of Solicitors. There are a number of issues raised by the discussion paper where the considered view of our faculty is that the Law Society's proposals are entirely out of line with what we consider would best promote the principle of equal access to justice for all. Much of the discussion paper also appears to us to be entirely contradictory to the best interests of the profession as a whole. We have split our response into 3 main sections. The first sets out what we see as the fundamental error in the approach being taken by the society and sets out an alternative, the second deals with the cuts to Civil legal aid proposed in the discussion paper and the third deals with the procedural reform proposed for the administration of civil legal aid. 1. Alternative To Accepting Cuts The starting off point for the Law Society must surely be that the Legal Aid budget has already been cut too deep and that further cuts must be opposed entirely. Our understanding is that spending per head of population on legal aid in Scotland is only £29 as compared with £55 in England and Wales. This strongly supports the position that the legal aid budget in Scotland was already
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