Universal periodic review of human rights in the United Kingdom 2017: update on five thematic areas

Access to justice

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Independent review of legal aid

The Scottish Government announced a comprehensive, independent review of legal aid on 1 February 2017 to fulfil the commitment to maintaining access to public funding for legal advice and representation in both civil and criminal cases alongside measures to expand access to alternative methods of resolving disputes.

While recognising that the current system compares very well internationally, the report, Rethinking Legal Aid, An Independent Strategic Review,^[15] published in February 2018, sets out a 10 year vision for legal aid in Scotland and makes 67 recommendations on how this vision can be delivered.

The report’s recommendations are currently being analysed and discussions are ongoing with stakeholders – such as the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and others in the third sector – to seek their views. The Scottish Government has published its response^[16] to the review and will consult in due course.