Legal Aid Review
What is the Legal Aid Review?
The Legal Aid Review is a project which is being led by HM Attorney General, John Quinn QC MLC, on behalf of the Securing Added Value and Efficiencies (SAVE) Sub-Committee of the Council of Ministers.
The aim of the Legal Aid Review is to develop policy options for the sustainable provision of Legal Aid in the Isle of Man, which:
- maintain or improve access to justice
- support the delivery of quality services
- provide value for money
What are the objectives of the Legal Aid Review?
The Legal Aid Review has the following five key objectives:
- examine the model of Legal Aid provision in the Island
- explore the models of Legal Aid provision in comparator jurisdictions
- identify which aspects of Legal Aid provision in the Island are considered to work well and should be continued
- identify which aspects of Legal Aid provision in the Island are considered not to work well and could benefit from improvement or change
- explore the feasibility of alternative approaches to Legal Aid provision in the Island
These objectives will be met through research, stakeholder engagement and public consultation.
Who determines Legal Aid policy?
Legal Aid policy remains a statutory function of the Legal Aid Committee in accordance with the Legal Aid Act 1986.
What progress has been made to date?
Since the project began in September 2018, one of the key focusses of the work has been researching Legal Aid provision in the Isle of Man. This work has been undertaken through a mix of desk-based research and meetings with officers from stakeholder agencies (e.g. Legal Aid Office; IoM Constabulary; Courts). Discussions with Advocates and the IoM Law Society have also been held.
Legal Aid models in comparator jurisdictions including England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have also been explored, in addition to those in the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey and Jersey. Representatives from stakeholder agencies and comparator jurisdictions have been very generous with their time, and this has been greatly appreciated.
What happens next?
Go to Progress & Next Steps
