Chamber and committees

We know that change is needed to ensure that we have an adaptable, flexible, affordable and sustainable legal aid system in Scotland that supports people who are facing challenging issues and problems. Consideration is being given to primary legislation in the next Parliamentary term that will consolidate the Government's recent reform to legal aid in Scotland. This will ensure continued support to people who are facing challenging issues, of course including those in rural island communities. The decision to take this forward will be for the next Government.

This government has continued its investment in the legal aid system which is generally effective in delivering help to those in need, however we do recognise there are some challenges in relation to certain types of cases or locations.

There are several ways in which access to solicitors can be facilitated remotely, and funding is available to allow solicitors to travel to rural and remote parts of the country to carry out work, meaning that individuals do not have to rely on local provision alone when seeking publicly funded legal assistance.

The Civil Legal Assistance Office has been established and is a network of 3 offices in Scotland that helps people with civil legal problems. Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) employed solicitors can provide advice and assistance to people with particular types of civil legal problems across Highlands and Islands, Argyll and Bute, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, and Edinburgh and the Lothians. Further, the Scottish Legal Aid Board manage 16 regional grant funded projects to support people facing legal action. This includes in island locations such as the Western Isles and Orkney Islands.

All of these services can operate across a wide geographical area and, through our ongoing reform programme, we are considering how different funding models can be used to strengthen access to legal aid where it is most needed.