Figures reveal erosion of legal aid system

Liam Mcarthur

A freedom of information request made by the Scottish Liberal Democrats indicates that the number of lawyers on the duty solicitor scheme fell from 753 in 2019 to 643 last year.

The number of firms fell from 392 to 352.

Law Society of Scotland president Ken Dalling said last month that the legal aid system was “under extraordinary pressure as a result of a generation of underfunding”.

He added: “There has been a huge decline in the number of people working in legal aid and ever-escalating demands on those of us who remain.

“If action is not taken now the impact on the ability of citizens to access justice will be irreparable.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Liam Mcarthur said: “This steady decrease in the number of solicitors and firms available to provide legal representation is extremely concerning.

“Access to justice relies on access to solicitors so any changes in the vital legal aid schemes could cause serious court disruption and deny people representation.

“This is not the fault of firms and practitioners have warned for years that the current fee system is utterly unsustainable. It is the fault of the Scottish Government who have failed to properly resource criminal justice.

“The pandemic caused enough disruption and courts are facing significant backlogs.

“The government must reform legal aid funding to prevent a further haemorrhage of solicitors and ensure everyone has access to legal support.”