Legal Services Commission
Encyclopedia
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is an executive non-departmental public body
of the Ministry of Justice
that is responsible for the operational administration of legal aid
in England and Wales
.
2 billion annually, and helping over 2 million people with their legal problems across England and Wales each year, the LSC was established under the Access to Justice Act 1999 and in 2000 absorbed the Legal Aid Board (founded 30 June 1949). Sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, the LSC helps to protect the fundamental rights of the individual and addresses problems that contribute to social exclusion. The Chair of the Legal Services Commission is Sir Bill Callaghan and its work is overseen by an independent board of commissioners.
The CLA aims to improve access to quality information and help for civil legal problems, in fields such as family, debt and housing law. CLA provides direct legal advice services to the public via its Community Legal Advice website and helpline, and also provides advice centre offices for low-income individuals and families, who are referred to participating solicitor
s and advice agencies that are certified through the CLA's Quality Mark scheme.
The CDS provides free legal advice and representation for people facing criminal charges who are unable to pay for legal help. This is supplied through criminal solicitors’ offices and the Public Defender Service.
In the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2011, the Government plans to scrap the Commission as part of its reform of legal aid services in England and Wales.
MP
made what the Parliamentary Under-secretary of State
for Justice, Jonathan Djanogly
, described as "serious accusations of mismanagement".
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
of the Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Justice is a ministerial department of the UK Government headed by the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, who is responsible for improvements to the justice system so that it better serves the public...
that is responsible for the operational administration of legal aid
Legal aid
Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people otherwise unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial.A number of...
in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
.
Overview
A non-departmental public body responsible for a budget of around £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2 billion annually, and helping over 2 million people with their legal problems across England and Wales each year, the LSC was established under the Access to Justice Act 1999 and in 2000 absorbed the Legal Aid Board (founded 30 June 1949). Sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, the LSC helps to protect the fundamental rights of the individual and addresses problems that contribute to social exclusion. The Chair of the Legal Services Commission is Sir Bill Callaghan and its work is overseen by an independent board of commissioners.
Services
The LSC is responsible for the development and administration of two service programmes:- Community Legal AdviceCommunity Legal AdviceCommunity Legal Advice is a government-funded advice service set up by the Legal Services Commission in the United Kingdom. It aims to help people in England and Wales deal with civil legal problems, and is part of the legal aid program in those countries....
(CLA) services - The Criminal Defence Service (CDS)
The CLA aims to improve access to quality information and help for civil legal problems, in fields such as family, debt and housing law. CLA provides direct legal advice services to the public via its Community Legal Advice website and helpline, and also provides advice centre offices for low-income individuals and families, who are referred to participating solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
s and advice agencies that are certified through the CLA's Quality Mark scheme.
The CDS provides free legal advice and representation for people facing criminal charges who are unable to pay for legal help. This is supplied through criminal solicitors’ offices and the Public Defender Service.
In the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2011, the Government plans to scrap the Commission as part of its reform of legal aid services in England and Wales.
Criticism
In the House of Commons on 20 July 2010 Robert BucklandRobert Buckland
Robert James Buckland is a British barrister and Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Swindon South, having won the seat from the Labour Party at the 2010 general election....
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
made what the Parliamentary Under-secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
for Justice, Jonathan Djanogly
Jonathan Djanogly
Jonathan Simon Djanogly is a British politician, former practicing solicitor and Conservative Member of Parliament for Huntingdon...
, described as "serious accusations of mismanagement".