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Defending legal aid

Tuesday 09 March 2010

The Law Society's objective is to persuade the government to guarantee an adequately funded legal aid system ensuring quality representation and access to justice for all. Our What Price Justice campaign is supported by many of the most influential lobbying organisations in the country.

Latest news

Legal aid lawyers pay the price of LSC's mismanagement

9 March 2010

The Law Society has been notified by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) that they will be delaying payments to solicitors due in March until the start of the next financial year.
Read our comments

Legal aid contracts 2010: videos available

4 March 2010

The LSC is in the process of inviting tenders for civil legal aid contracts to start in October 2010. Our two videos will help you to understand the tendering process and guide you through some of the key changes to the contract you need to be aware of.
See the tendering process video
See the contract terms video

Crime contract tender - deadline 12 March

Firms wishing to apply for a legal aid crime contract are reminded that the deadline for bid submissions is 16:00 on Friday 12 March.
More information
Read our criminal legal aid practice note

BVT talks: Society clarifies position

Law Society chief executive Des Hudson has clarified that no substantive discussions have taken place with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) or the Legal Services Commission (LSC) on new proposals for a revised tendering scheme, nor has the Society been present at any meetings involving the MoJ and representatives of large firms.
Read more in the Gazette

Crime contract changes: Society reacts angrily

We have issued a strong response to proposals to amend current crime contracts to reduce police station fees in certain areas, and introduce changes to committal fees. We have expressed our concern to Lord Bach and questioned the use of the contract amendment clause to introduce the changes prior to the new contract in July.
Read our letter to the LSC (PDF, 395kb)
Read our letter to Lord Bach (PDF, 500kb)
Read Lord Bach's response (PDF, 95kb)

Advocates' fees consultation: Society responds

The Society has responded to an MoJ consultation proposing cuts to advocates' fees. We believe the proposals are too closely linked to two other consultations - one of which has not yet been published - and that the equality impact assessment is inadequate.
Read our consultation response

Social welfare law and family: tenders open

The tender process for the Social Welfare and Family Law 2010 contracts opened on 26 February. The deadline for submitting tenders is 12:00 on 21 April.
Read more

Legal aid tendering: practice notes

11 February 2010

The Law Society has produced two practice notes to assist civil and criminal legal aid lawyers with the bid round for the 2010 contracts.
Read the civil legal aid practice note
Read the criminal legal aid practice note

Criminal contract: Society secures amendments

Following negotiations with the Law Society, the LSC has agreed to remove the guidance, including the extreme micro-management, from the criminal contract document. They have also backed down on the proposal for a new KPI to ensure providers accept 50 per cent of police station back up calls.

Procurement plans threaten access to justice

We are concerned by the LSC's revised procurement plans, which will see no increase in the allocation of new matter starts. Even during the current financial year, a number of legal aid providers have run out of matter starts, making it more difficult for potential clients to obtain the advice they need.
Read our statement
Details of the procurement plans

Public Accounts Committee publishes damning report on LSC

The Public Accounts Committee has issued a damning report on the Legal Services Commission's performance in managing legal aid. The report criticises the LSC's failure to understand its suppliers and their profitability, and its inability to determine whether its reforms are working or the impact they are having on the sustainability of providers.
Read more in the Gazette
Read the report

Immigration re-accreditation: deadline extended

The LSC has agreed to our recommendation that the immigration re-accreditation process should be extended. This will allow organisations greater flexibility to plan and manage casework and staff assessment. It has been extended to 31 March 2011.
Read more

Social welfare and family: tender date announced

The LSC has announced that the tenders for civil contracts in the family and social welfare law categories will open on 26 February 2010.
More details

Civil tendering

22 January 2010

We continue to press the Legal Services Commission to clarify fundamental issues around the civil tendering round. Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson has insisted that civil legal aid solicitors need public final answers to all the outstanding issues.
Read our letter to the LSC (PDF, 669kb) - 13 January
Read the response from the LSC (PDF, 44kb) - 14 January
Read our response to the LSC (PDF, 596kb) - 18 January
Read the LSC's response (PDF, 270kb) - 22 January

Civil legal aid tendering - free roadshows

14 January 2010

The Law Society is running a series of free roadshows to update legal aid lawyers on the new contract terms, the new family fees scheme, the tendering process and how bids will be distinguished, and the latest news from the Legal Services Commission. The series runs from 19 January until 25 February.
Book your place now

Tendering process - how to submit a tender

14 January 2010

All tenders for a new contract must be submitted online through the eTendering system. You will need to register your organisation's details to use the system. The LSC has produced a series of guides and FAQs.
Find out more and register
Information on immigration tender- now open
Information on civil contract tenders - due to open late February

Family practitioners - important information

14 January 2010

Family practitioners should be aware of the LSC 2010 contract requirements, including the standard terms, the family specification and payment annex. We have produced a guide to outline the main requirements and changes to the Family Specification.
Read our guide
Read the relevant documents on the LSC website - including the Family Mediation Specification

More legal aid information

E-mail updates

Best value tendering

Read the latest news on best value tendering

Useful resources

Community Legal Advice Centre tender process - consultants directory

Principal Registry and family courts key contacts

Legal aid toolkit

Merger, acquisition and organic growth toolkit

VAT on legal aid practice note

Debt relief order practice note

Unified Contract

Unified contract settlement

3 April 2008
The Law Society has agreed a settlement to our judicial review proceedings with the Legal Services Commission (LSC) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). It gives vital financial support to legal aid, and creates a much needed period of stability and certainty in which to prepare for the long term.
Read more
Summary of the settlement (PDF, 64kb)
Full settlement deed (PDF, 404kb)

Working groups

A number of working groups were set up under the Law Society's unified contract settlement with the LSC:

Quality Assurance Joint Working Group
This group will look at peer review and other quality assurance processes and procedures. It is jointly chaired by the Society and the LSC. Other participants include the SRA, the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Advice Services Alliance, the Ministry of Justice and Resolution.
Read the minutes of the meetings – LSC website

Contract Compliance Joint Working Group
This working group was set up to undertake a review of contract compliance audit (CCA) processes. It includes the Law Society, the LSC and the Advice Services Alliance, with input from the National Audit Office (NAO).
Read the final report
Read the latest minutes

VHCC Panel

A working group comprising the Bar Council, Law Society, Legal Services Commission and Ministry of Justice has been meeting to design a new VHCC Panel scheme to replace the current scheme.
Read the minutes