| Date |
Mailing
title and description |
Sent
to |
| 2008 |
|
|
| 28 November 2008 |
Mailing to all firms about VAT rate changes and the application of VAT on solicitors' accounts. |
|
10 November
2008 |
Part-time peer reviewers wanted for Criminal Quality Assurance Scheme |
|
| 5 November 2008 |
Sheriffs' briefing note on children's legal aid
This briefing note has been sent to the Judicial Studies Group, the Sheriffs Association and Sheriff Principal Bowen on behalf of Sheriff Principals - read more
|
|
| 2 September 2008 |
Duty Plans 2009 reminder - read letter to all criminal legal assistance solicitors |
|
| 7 August 2008 |
Duty Plans 2009
This mailing to all criminal legal aid practitioners provides information about how to apply to be on the 2009 duty plans. The closing date is 13 September 2008. You can read:
|
|
| 24 July 2008 |
Changes to children's legal assistance
This letter is to practitioners who undertake children’s legal assistance work. It contains important information about changes effective 1 September 2008.
It is about new guidance in the Children’s Legal Assistance Handbook concerning payment of curators ad litem and safeguarders in proceedings under Part II, Chapters 2 and 3 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and reminds practitioners about multiple applications. It also includes information about a new children's advice and assistance accounts synopsis form. Read the:
|
|
| 4 July 2008 - web only |
New civil legal aid direction
The Scottish Ministers have given the Board a new Direction which comes into force from 4 July 2008. Read the Civil Legal Aid for Defamation or Verbal
Injury Proceedings (Scotland) Direction 2008.
Please note that Ministers have revoked the Civil Legal Aid for Defamation or Verbal
Injury Proceedings (Scotland) Direction 2007(b). |
|
| 23 May 2008 - web only |
Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice has announced improvements to civil legal aid fee rates for solicitors, including an increase in the value of the unit on which the block fees are based from the current £19 to £21. Read more. |
|
| 4 April 2008 |
Criminal legal aid accounts synopsis forms
As part of the successful introduction of a new criminal applications computer system, we are changing the criminal account synopsis forms. Read the following (which will be mailed to solicitors in the next week):
|
|
| 4 April 2008 |
New Keycard 2008
This letter to all legal aid solicitors contains information on revised financial eligibility limits effective 7 April 2008, information on new category codes for advice and assistance, and revised information leaflets. Read:
|
|
| 14 March 2008 |
Civil legal assistance update
Read the latest update on simplifying civil legal assistance and other matters, which includes information on:
- major changes to forms
- improved support and training for solicitors
- our pilot scheme for getting financial information from applicants by telephone
- a number of the changes already made to reduce the information we need with civil legal aid applications
- Legal Aid Online
- clawback provisions in mortgage rights cases.
|
|
15 February 2008 |
New contact details for ordering forms from the Board's printer - read the letter and order form for Stewarts |
|
| 2007 |
|
|
| 21 December 2007 |
Reform of summary criminal legal assistance – consultation period - this mailing to all criminal solicitors advises about the extension of the current consultation period to 31 January 2008 and provides further information about issues raised by solicitors including during the recent consultation seminars. Read:
|
|
| 7 December 2007 |
Criminal Legal Assistance Register annual publication - read the letter to compliance partners or view the register |
|
| 6 December 2007 |
Mailing to head office of civil legal assistance solicitor firms - survey of legal assistance services offered by your firm to imporve information for the public.
Please note that the deadline for the return of surveys has been extended to Friday 25 January 2007
|
|
| 16 November 2007 |
Further information for faculties - on costing work carried out in relation to the proposals in the Reform of Summary Criminal Legal Assistance Consultation Paper. Read the:
* Board’s letter to the faculties
*letter to the Glasgow Bar Association from the Criminal Procedure Division
* note on the range of costings.
|
|
9 November 2007 |
Criminal legal assistance Update - contains guidance on a criminal matters for solicitors, as well as information on an increase in solemn criminal legal aid fees for solicitors which is equivalent of a 7% increase against the current fee levels - read the update.
|
|
| 31 October 2007 |
Civil legal assistance Update for solicitors contains information on changes effective 1 November, on civil legal aid fees, vulnerable witnesses and adults with incapacity. The Update also tells about changes to simplifying civil legal assistance. Read the update.
|
|
| 3 October 2007 |
Royal Mail postal dispute
Legal aid mail is expected to be disrupted because of industrial action by postal staff. Read information on how this may impact mail for the legal profession.
|
|
| 17 August 2007 |
Scottish Ministers have issued a Direction to the Scottish Legal Aid Board (“the Board”) for the granting of civil legal aid in exceptional cases concerning defamation or verbal injury cases. Read more. |
|
| 8 August 2007 |
Letter to criminal solicitors - a reminder of the deadline for duty plan applications is 31 August. See the original letter below dated 10 July for applications forms. |
|
| 20 July 2007 |
Letter to Civil practitioners about progress on our Civil Simplification Project including information on changes to the completion of civil legal aid forms and reduction of the information that you have to send to the Board - read letter |
|
| 18 July 2007 |
Letter to criminal practitioners about: - read letter
- guidance on the content of applications for summary criminal legal aid
- guidance on making applications in terms of section 23(1)(b) of the Legal Aid ( Scotland) Act 1986
- information on the recent re-organisation of our Legal Services Department
- an updated ‘contacts’ section.
|
|
| 10 July 2007 |
Letter to criminal practitioners about Criminal Legal Aid Duty Plans 2008 see letter, see NON Edinburgh solicitors application form, see Edinburgh solicitors application form, see eligibility criteria |
|
| 18 June 2007 |
Letter to civil practitioners about review of civil legal aid fees and request for files - read letter
|
|
| 18 June 2007 |
Letter to practitioners who undertake children's legal assistance about contact detail changes and guidance on making applications - read letter
|
|
| 15 June 2007 |
Letter to criminal practitioners working in the Edinburgh courts about arrangements for the Edinburgh Criminal Justice Project - read letter
|
|
| |
For information on the advice and assistance reforms that were effective on 1 May 2007, refer to our section with these mailings. |
|
| 5 April 2007 |
New Keycard 2007
This letter to all legal aid practitioners contains information on revised financial eligibility limits effective 9 April 2007. Read:
- Letter with details of changes
- Keycard 2007- effective 9 April 2007
|
|
| 5 April 2007 |
Advice and assistance update 5
Read this letter to all practitioners providing a further update on advice and assistance reforms. This update is about ordering starter packs of advice and assistance forms. A customised letter has been sent to each solicitor. You can read the order form and update. |
|
| 1 February 2007 |
Guidance on applying the financial eligibility tests for advice and assistance - this letter to all practitioners
provides guidance on how they should determine their client’s financial eligibility including the importance of seeing documentary evidence to verify their client’s eligibility. It also
outlines forthcoming changes to the advice and assistance forms which will assist this process. Read the letter.
|
|
| 1 February 2007 |
Civil legal aid fee changes - this letter to civil practitioners provides guidance and details on the changes being made to civil fees from 10 February 2007. Read the letter.
The regulations covering the fee changes are available online at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2007/ssi_20070014_en.pdf |
|
| 24 January 2007 |
Letter to all civil legal assistance practitioners about some important developments in civil legal aid and civil advice and assistance:
- important changes to the operation of block fees from 10 February 2007
- the reforms to civil advice and assistance are expected to be implemented from 1 May 2007
- changes to quality assurance to reduce bureaucracy in
administrative audits.
The regulations covering the block fee changes are now available online at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2007/ssi_20070014_en.pdf
|
|
| 2006 |
|
|
| 14 December 2006 |
Criminal Legal Assistance Register
Letter to compliance partners attaching a copy of the criminal register as at 14 December 2006.
You can view the most up to date version from this web page. |
|
| 10 November 2006 |
Consultation on Revisions to the Code of Practice for Criminal Legal Assistance
Under Part V of the Legal Aid ( Scotland) Act 1986, both solicitors and firms wanting to provide criminal legal assistance require to be registered with the Board and comply with the Code of Practice for Criminal Legal Assistance. The Code enables the Board to monitor the quality of criminal legal assistance work carried out in Scotland and to ensure that the considerable sums spent on criminal legal assistance is being properly spent. Because of reforms and changes in legal aid, we now wish to update the Code.
The consultation is now closed. The closing date was 19 January 2007 but you can read:
|
|
| 10 November 2006 |
Solemn fee increase 16 November 2006: payment of backdated sums due.
This letter to all compliance partners at criminal firms details how to claim backdated amounts. The letter also includes guidance on completing the new claim form. Read the letter.
The letter also includes the form RET/SL/INC - Retrospective solemn
fee increase claim form. This is an interactive pdf form which can calculate the amount to be claimed.
The fees regulation is available as the 2006 Scottish Statutory Instrument no 515 on the Office of Public Sector Information website in pdf format or as a web page. |
|
| 26 September 2006 |
Letter to all civil legal aid practitioners
about significant improvements to the payment of income-based contributions in civil legal aid cases, effective 2 October 2006. The letter also highlights the advantages of estimating the legal aid costs of a civil case. It also includes details of changes for two of our legal aid information leaflets to reflect the new contribution payment periods.
Read the letter including the leaflet text update. |
|
| 3 August 2006 |
Duty Plans 2007 - reminder to compliance partners that the closing date is Friday 25 August 2006. Read the letter |
|
| 26 July 2006 |
Update for all practitioners on legal aid for adults with incapacity and mental health cases
There were a number of important changes to legal aid legislation in 2005, affecting adults with incapacity and mental health cases. On 1 August 2006, the requirement to assess financial eligibility for some types of civil legal aid applications will change. This update provides solicitors with guidance on providing advice or representation for adults with incapacity and mental health cases.
|
|
| 8 June 2006 |
Duty plans 2007
This mailshot to all criminal legal aid practitioners provides information about how to apply to be on the 2007 duty plans. You can read:
|
|
| 8 June 2006 |
Summary Justice Pilot courts in Grampian and West Lothian
This mailshot for criminal practitioners contains information about legislative changes effective 12 June 2006 concerning pilots courts in Grampian and West Lothian. It also contains guidance on how to complete application forms for these cases. Read the letter. |
|
| 6 April 2006 |
Keycard and other legal aid changes
This letter to all legal aid practitioners contains information on revised financial eligibility limits effective 10 April 2006 and changes to leaflets and the introduction of a telephone helpline. Read:
|
|
| 30 March 2006 |
Mailshot to all practitioners about vulnerable witnesses sanction arrangments and legal aid forms - read the mailshot (pdf) |
|
| 10 January 2006 |
New civil forms
Read update 1 about the new civil forms that will be issued in January 2006. Also obtain a order form to request or revise a starter pack of the new forms. |
|
| |
|
|
| 2005 |
|
|
| 29 December 2005 |
Criminal legal aid - Changes to the sanction procedures for junior counsel in High Court cases ome into effect in January 2006- read the mailshot to criminal practitioners and the enclosed new guidance.
|
|
| 14 December 2005 |
Criminal Legal Assistance Register
Letter to compliance partners attaching a copy of the current criminal register. You can view the most up to date version from this web page. |
|
| 15 October 2005 |
Civil legal aid research - letter to civil practitioners about research into the civil legal aid reforms that MORI the independent researchers are conducting - read the letter
|
|
| 2 September 2005 |
Civil legal aid applications
This letter to all civil legal aid practitioners gives an update on
the substantial progress towards dealing with all civil cases within our normal timescales. The letter also includes a revised list of civil legal aid category codes. Read the:
|
|
| 12 August 2005 |
Civil legal aid applications and
letters of engagement
This letter to civil practitioners provides an update on the substantial progress being made in considering civil applications following the introduction of our new computer system.
It also provides information on the arrangements for using legal aid leaflets in support of requirements that solicitors provide letters of engagement to their clients, and to provide an interim version of a new leaflet, “Advice and assistance – what you may have to pay if you win or keep money or property after your solicitor has given you advice and assistance.”
|
|
| 25 July 2005 |
Duty plans 2006
This mailshot to all criminal legal aid practitioners provides information about how to apply to be on the 2006 duty plans. You can read:
|
|
| 13 July 2005 |
Legal Aid Online
We are inviting solicitors to come and see Legal Aid Online at local demonstration events. You can:
|
|
| 4 July 2005 |
Civil legal aid applications - letter to all civil practitioners about progress in processing cases and improvements to civil applications as a result of the new system - read the letter
|
|
| 30 June 2005 |
Letter to all firms about legal aid arrangements for the G8 summit - read |
|
| 10 June 2005 |
Civil legal aid applications
Letter to all civil practitioners about implementation of our new computer system |
|
| 8 June 2005 |
Corporate Plan 2005-2006
|
|
| 7 April 2005 |
Keycard and other legal aid changes
This letter to all legal aid practitioners contains information on a range of legal aid changes, as listed below, including revised financial eligibility limits effective 11 April 2005. Read:
Annual Changes to Financial Limits – effective 11 April 2005
- Changes to Capital Eligibility Limits
- Changes to Income Eligibility Limits
- Increase in “Clawback” limit
Administrative Changes
Advice and Assistance: General
- Advice and Assistance: whether civil, criminal or children’s matter and whether it relates to one or more distinct matters
- “Other rights and facilities” extended to advice and assistance
Criminal Legal Assistance
- New Tables of Fees for counsel in criminal proceedings
- New Fixed Payments for adjourned trial diets where no evidence is led
- ABWOR for representation of obstructive witnesses
Civil and Children’s Legal Assistance
- Future recovery of payments made under the “solicitor hardship” provisions
- Increase in civil and children’s advice and assistance and ABWOR fees
- Power of Board to obtain information from assisted persons and applicants for civil legal aid
- Council Directive on cross-border disputes: modified application requirements
- Special urgency cover for review of decision of Asylum and Immigration Tribunal
- New ABWOR provisions for Asylum and Immigration Tribunal
|
All practitioners |
| 30 March 2005 |
This letter to all legal aid practitioners contains advice and assistance guidance– seeking requests for increases in authorised expenditure and guidelines on Vulnerable Witnesses – sanction in legal aid cases – effective 1 April 2005. Read:
In addition, you can read all advice and assistance guidance on seeking requests for increases in authorised expenditure (includes previously published guidance.) |
|
2004 |
|
|
| 29 December 2004 |
This letter to all criminal legal aid practitioners contains guidelines about:
You can also read the covering letter or read all of the mailshot.
|
|
| 8 December 2004 |
Criminal Legal Assistance Register - new edition published
|
|
| 30
July 2004 |
This
letter to all legal aid practitioners contains guidance
about:
1. Advice and assistance applications under Regulation
16(3)
2. Guidelines for civil legal aid applications to
pursue and defend exclusion orders
Read the
mailshot You can also read a copy
of the updated Civil Legal Aid Merits Manual.
|
|
| 8
July 2004 |
Duty
Plans 2005
This mailshot to all
criminal legal aid practitioners provides information
about how to apply to be on the 2005 duty plans.
You can read:
|
|
| 30
June 2004 |
Mailshot
about a number
of regulations which have come into force
The mailshot
includes information on advice and assistance,
children's legal aid and criminal legal aid. The
mailshot includes detailed guidance and also includes:
* New ABWOR Table of Fees;
* New advice & assistance Table of Fees;
* Latest version of Schedule 1 Part 1, the Table
of Fees attached to the fixed payment regulations;
and
* New Schedule 1 criminal legal aid detailed Table
of Fees (amended for solemn cases)
You can read the regulations that were laid
in the Scottish Parliament on the HMSO website by clicking
on the following links:
|
|
| 28
June 2004 |
Advice
and assistance category codes - revised edition |
|
| 8
June 2004 |
New
forms and guidelines for applications under Regulation
16(3) of the Advice and Assistance (Scotland) Regulations
1996 (commonly known as “hardship applications”)
- effective 21 June 2004
This mailshot, sent to all legal
aid practitioners, covers new procedures for advice
and assistance applications under Regulation 16(3),
and encloses copies of new forms and guidance.
The new forms should be used from Monday 21 June
2004. Read:
|
|
| 17
May 2004 |
Opportunities
for access - Corporate Plan 2004-2006
The commitment to improving and developing legal
aid in Scotland to provide greater opportunities
for access to justice is central to the strategy
announced today by the Board when we published our
Corporate Plan 2004-2006. Read the letter
to all legal aid firms or view the Corporate
Plan (pdf).
|
|
| 13
May 2004 |
Advice
and assistance increases guidance - letter to all practitioners
As
a step towards simplifying the process for seeking
requests for increases in authorised expenditure
in a number of areas, we have been considering introducing
further guidance notes for certain increase requests.
This approach provides greater certainty as to
the subject matter of the increase request and reduces
administration for both the solicitor and the Board.
In August 2003 we issued guidance notes dealing
with immigration and asylum cases. We have now prepared
guidance notes covering reparation claims, family
law matters and Employment Tribunal cases. Read:
|
|
| 5
April 2004 |
- Letter
to all legal aid practitioners about the new
eligibility limits for advice and assistance
and civil legal aid from 12 April 2004. Also
details of other changes and public holiday
payment dates. Also enclosed:
- Keycard
- the redesigned Keycard now includes all updated
allowances, the clawback limits for Advice and Assistance
and Civil Legal Aid, plus the income and capital
eligibility limits, for ease of reference.
- New
information leaflet for the general public ‘Do
I qualify financially for advice and assistance
or for civil legal aid?’ - no longer available online
-
New (interim) special
urgency mandate and calculation form, CIV SU
MAN including Notes for guidance in the use of Regulation
18 (special urgency) - no longer available online
|
|
| |
For civil reform mailshots, visit the civil
reform section.
|
|
2003 |
|
|
| 15
December 2003 |
Criminal
Legal Assistance Register - new edition published
|
|
| December
2003 |
The
Recorder Issue 38 published
|
|
| December
2003 |
Modernisation
of legal aid, advice and information
Modernising the justice system, and in particular
legal aid, was the theme of a keynote address by Cathy
Jamieson, the Justice Minister , at the joint Law
Society and Board Legal Aid Conference on 24 October.
It was also the subject of an interesting debate in
the Scottish Parliament on 3 December.
|
|
| 8
December 2003 |
Details
of payments over the Christmas holiday period - sent
to all firms |
|
| December
2003 |
New
civil legal aid information leaflets published - sent
to all civil firms
- read
the cover letter or
- view
leaflet 2, Civil legal assistance - a simple guide
- revised edition October 2003
- view
leaflet 5 Civil legal aid – what you may have
to pay at the end of your case if you win or keep
money or property. (This guidance for applicants
for civil legal aid explains what you might have
to pay towards your legal aid if you win or keep
money or property as a result of your case.)
|
|
| 30
October 2003 |
Civil
legal aid register - updated version as at 30 October - not available online
|
|
| 29
October 2003 |
Civil
legal aid merits guidelines - These guidelines
cover a range of topics and types of application.
They are designed to give a basic background to the
factors that will be considered in considering probable
cause and reasonableness, and the evidential requirements
for applications. Printed copies will be sent to practitioners
over the next two weeks. Read
the cover letter. |
|
| |
For civil reform mailshots, visit the civil
reform section.
|
|
| 1
Sept 2003 |
The
Recorder, issue 37, summer 2003 published - |
|
| 15
August 2003 |
Letter
to all practitioners with guidance for civil practitioners
about:
-
Civil legal aid: cases involving a wider public
interest
-
Advice and assistance and ABWOR for immigration
and asylum cases – introduction of a template
approach for requests for increases in authorised
expenditure
Read:
|
|
| 14
August 2003 |
Postal
services – a letter to office managers highlighting
mail delivery issues - read
|
|
| 31
July 2003 |
Developing...
The legal aid system is delivering a better service
due to a wide range of improvements, important developments
and higher performance in the past year, says the
Scottish Legal Aid Board, on publication of its annual
report for 2002/2003. The report shows that there
are many more developments to come, with the aim of
helping people access justice. View:
letter
to legal aid firms
Annual
Report (pdf)
press
release |
|
| 31
July 2003 |
Revised
advice and assistance category codes published - view |
|
| 17
July 2003 |
Letter
to all solicitors giving further clarification of
the changes to financial eligibility for advice and
assistance. Also enclosed were guidelines on sanction
for counsel in children’s cases.
|
|
| 17
July 2003 |
Revised
advice and assistance category codes published - view |
|
| 14
July 2003 |
Letter
to all practitioners about a pilot scheme for submission
of financial information with a civil legal aid application
for proceedings in the Court of Session. As part of
the pilot we have published guidance on what minimum
financial information and verification is required at
the outset, with the aim of reducing delays.
|
|
| 20
June 2003 |
Duty
Plans 2004 Applications
|
|
| 19
June 2003 |
Legal
aid plans published
Significant changes in access to justice and the operation
of legal aid during the next three years were highlighted
when the Board published its Corporate Plan 2003-2006.
The plan summaries the Board’s progress during
the past year and sets out what it aims to achieve
during the coming three years. The Board has identified
three key themes to its strategy for 2003-2006. View:
covering
letter to all legal aid firm from our Chairman
Corporate
Plan 2003-2006
|
|
| April
2003 |
Letter
to firms about new legal aid information leaflets
and how to order these and legal aid forms. Also an
erratum – Eligibility Limits leaflet effective
7 April 2003 and Availability of ABWOR notes for guidance,
issued with the mailshot on 31 March 2003. View:
All
of mailshot
Cover
letter only
Revised eligibility
limits leaflet
Revised ABWOR
Notes for Guidance
Leaflets:
1
Guidance for opponents in civil legal aid cases - superceeded so no longer available online
2
Civil legal assistance - a simple guide- superceeded so no longer available online
3
Criminal legal assistance if you are in custody
4
Criminal legal assistance if you are not in custody
Order
form for legal aid forms and leaflets from the Board's
printer - view
order form.
|
|
| 14
April 2003 |
Letter
to firms about arrangements over Easter period, including
payment dates - view.
|
|
| 10
April 2003 |
Revised
advice and assistance category codes published - view. |
|
| 31
March 2003 |
Mailshot
to all legal aid practitioners about:
-
important legal aid changes effective 6 April 2003,
such as changing income “passporting”
benefits, resources of a person’s partner
of the same sex to be taken into account; increase
of the ‘clawback’ limit, and general
disregard of benefits in assessing financial eligibility
for advice and assistance.
-
important legal aid changes effective 7 April 2003,
such as changes to eligibility limits in advice
and assistance and civil legal aid
-
further improvements to the Contributions System
-
guidance on new Court of Session Personal Injuries
Rules
-
Criminal Legal Aid: Issue of Certificates (Summary
Cases)/Payment of Crown Witnesses.
View:
|
|
| 27
March 2003 |
The
Recorder, issue 36, March 2003 published - view.
|
|
| 27
March 2003 |
Mailshot
to compliance partners at criminal legal assistance
registered firms enclosing a model criminal account
- view.
|
|
| 21
March 2003 |
Letter
to all legal aid practitioners about:
- important
changes effective 24 March 2003 - Consolidated ABWOR
Regulations
- important
administrative changes effective 1 April 2003 -
change of practice in issuing criminal legal aid
certificates; payment of Crown witnesses in criminal
cases; provision of expert reports to the Board;
guidance on judicial expenses accepted.
View
the mailshot.
|
|
| 28
Feb 2003 |
Public
consultation - details of four public meetings being
held in March - view
details.
|
|
| March
2003 |
Revised
Advice and Assistance Guidelines published - view
guidelines.
|
|
| 28
Feb 2003 |
New
advice and assistance category codes published - view. |
|
| 24
Jan 2003 |
Letter
to compliance partners at criminal legal assistance
registered firms with amendments to the Criminal Legal
Assistance Register published as at 10 December 2002.
View
the letter. |
|
| 2002 |
|
|
| 20
Dec 2002 |
Guidelines
on reasonableness in civil legal aid cases - view. |
|
| 19
Dec 2002 |
The
Recorder issue 35, December 2002 published - view. |
|
| 16
Dec 2002 |
Letter
to compliance partners at criminal legal assistance
|
