Scottish Legal Aid Board
Introduction
The Scottish Legal Aid Board was set up in 1987 to manage legal aid in Scotland. It derives its powers and functions from the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986.
Its mission statement is: Always improving our service for the people of Scotland.
Its main tasks are:
- to assess and, where appropriate, grant applications for legal aid;
- to scrutinise and pay legal aid accounts submitted by solicitors and advocates; and
- to advise the Secretary of State for Scotland on legal aid matters.
The Board comprises the Chairman, the Chief Executive and 11 part-time members, two of whom have to be members of the Faculty of Advocates, two members of the Law Society, and one other a person having experience of the practice and procedures of the court. The Board has a number of committees.
| | Number of Staff | | | Expenditure (£m) |
| 1995/96 | 274 | | 1995/96 | 133.0 |
| 1996/97 | 268 | | 1996/97 | 150.1 |
| 1997/98 | 283¹* | | 1997/98 | 145.1¹ |
¹269+14 for current legislation.
*Forecast | | |
The Board's Annual Report is circulated free of charge to all solicitors carrying out legal aid work, advocates, MPs and a number of other interested bodies, and can be bought from the Board's offices for £10. Its Corporate Plan is circulated to MPs. Copies are available free of charge from the Board's offices.
Achievements in 1996/97
The corporate planning and budgeting processes have been significantly improved. The Board has introduced a new reward strategy which integrates performance appraisal and performance related pay to ensure that staff are appropriately rewarded on the basis of their performance against objectives and individual competencies. It has also successfully launched a project to imbue all staff with an understanding of the Board's agreed values and behaviours. The Board has is committed to achieving Investors in People status in 1998.
Plans for 1997/98
A major project in 1997/98 and beyond will be the introduction of a pilot "public defender" scheme. The Board shall also be introducing a code of practice for solicitors practising criminal legal aid work, and a system of registration for these practitioners. Under the new legislation it shall have enhanced powers to investigate and pursue abuse and fraud relating to legal aid work, and it shall be increasing its efforts in this area.
The Board shall be continuing its programme of improvements to our service to the legal profession through further streamlining our processes and procedures, completing the computerisation of its applications systems and providing training for the legal profession.
Key Performance Targets
|
| 1994/95
| 1995/96
| 1996/97
| 1997/98
|
| KEY MEASURE |
SET |
ACHIEVED |
SET |
ACHIEVED |
SET |
ACHIEVED* |
SET* |
|
|
|
|
|
| CIVIL |
Applications (%) |
78
WITHIN 6 WEEKS |
83 |
80
WITHIN 6 WEEKS |
90 |
90
WITHIN 6 WEEKS |
88 |
92
WITHIN 6 WEEKS |
| |
Accounts (%) |
85
WITHIN 7 WEEKS |
88 |
86
WITHIN 7 WEEKS |
88 |
82
WITHIN 4 WEEKS |
82 |
83
WITHIN 4 WEEKS |
|
|
|
|
|
| CRIMINAL |
Applications (%) |
85
WITHIN 7 DAYS |
81 |
83
WITHIN 7 DAYS |
83 |
82
WITHIN 5 DAYS |
72 |
85
WITHIN 5 DAYS |
| |
Accounts (%) |
95
WITHIN 7 WEEKS |
94 |
94
WITHIN 7 WEEKS |
98 |
85
WITHIN 2 WEEKS |
76 |
80
WITHIN 2 WEEKS |
|
|
|
|
|
| ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE |
Applications for increase (%) |
96
WITHIN 10 DAYS |
95 |
95
WITHIN 10 DAYS |
93 |
80
WITHIN 5 DAYS |
69 |
83
WITHIN 5 DAYS |
| |
Accounts (%) |
95
WITHIN 4 WEEKS |
95 |
93
WITHIN 4 WEEKS |
97 |
90
WITHIN 2 WEEKS |
90 |
90
WITHIN 2 WEEKS |
|
|
|
|
|
| * Figures taken from the Board's draft Corporate Plan for 1997-2000. |
| 
