The Scottish Association of Law Centres (SALC) recently contributed to an important Call for Views by the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee for the Inquiry into Civil Legal Aid in Scotland.
The Call for Views is part of a new inquiry which aims to explore what is and is not working within the current legal aid system. It also aims to find out what changes could be made to the system in the short and long term to improve access to civil legal assistance.
As the national body for the not-for-profit legal sector in Scotland, SALC is uniquely placed to offer a comprehensive perspective on the operation and challenges of Scotland’s legal aid system. Our member law centres work daily on the frontline of legal advice provision, assisting some of the most disadvantaged individuals and communities in Scotland. Drawing on decades of collective experience, we are well equipped to highlight both the strengths and limitations of the current legal aid framework, particularly from the standpoint of social justice and access to rights. We welcome the opportunity to respond to this important enquiry.
In a high-level response, we summarised key themes and concerns shared by SALC member law centres, including:
- The current barriers to accessing civil legal assistance.
- Our suggestions for shorter-term improvements which could be made to the current system for civil legal assistance.
- Our support for the positive role that Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) grant funding plays in enabling access to justice and our recommendations for reform which could help overcome current challenges that undermine its potential.
- The strengths and weakness of the current system for providing civil legal assistance.
- The strengths and weaknesses of the proposed reforms recommended by the Evans Review (“Rethinking Legal Aid”, 2018).
- Our priorities for longer-term reform.
We also emphasised the critical role of legal aid in upholding justice and protecting the rights of vulnerable populations, and made further recommendations to strengthen the system, including:
- Recognising legal aid as a vital public service
- Addressing workforce challenges
- Incorporating user feedback
- And ensuring transparency and accountability
Law centres remain committed to collaborating with policymakers, the Scottish Legal Aid Board, and other stakeholders to advance reforms that enhance the effectiveness and reach of legal aid services.
SALC are pleased to have contributed to the Inquiry’s investigation, and we look forward to the publication of their findings.
Individual law centres will be submitting their own responses, containing more detail and local insights to complement this collective overview.