DUTY SCHEME MAPPING CONSULTATION
08/06/09
The LSC have launched a consultation on changes to the Criminal Legal Aid Duty schemes to bring their boundaries into line with postcode areas.
Documents for each of the regions, plus associated maps for each can be found on the LSC website https://consult.legalservices.gov.uk/inovem/consult.ti/DSS09/consultationHome. The aim of the changes is to make the schemes simpler and to put an end to the current situation, whereby access to schemes is based on the time it takes to get to courts/police stations. This has created lengthy arguments about how fast people can walk and how long particular bus routes take, etc.
In theory the changes should make the schemes easier to operate and understand. However, it is likely that there may be some very localised impacts which may affect some practitioners in certain areas. The Law Society does not intend to submit a centralised national response, as we do not have the resources to gather views from all the different areas affected. However, it may be appropriate for Local Law Societies to raise any concerns in separate responses directly to your local LSC office or by following the instructions on the LSC website at the above link.
Kind regards,
Nicole Carpenter