Transcript Legal aid schemes for members of the public Brian Ruddie, Defra Legal Advisers Treasury Solicitor’s Department Aarhus Convention - Task Force on Access to.

Legal aid schemes for members of
the public
Brian Ruddie, Defra Legal Advisers
Treasury Solicitor’s Department
Aarhus Convention - Task Force on Access to Justice
Geneva - 25 February 2014
Provision of legal aid in England & Wales
• Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of
Offenders Act 2012
• Civil legal services
• Judicial review – potential to produce a benefit for
individual, member of individual’s family or
environment
• Nuisance – pollution of the environment
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Eligibility tests
• Means test – income and capital
– The Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources and Payment
for Services Regulations) 2013
– Benefits passport
– Public interest waiver
• Merits test – proportionality and prospects of
success
– The Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) Regulations 2013
– Judicial review reforms
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