Legal aid: Scottish government told to explain itself as it plays games on eve of COP26

Ash Regan

Legal affairs minister Ash Regan last week wrote to key legal figures, expressing disappointment over a planned boycott of the court scheme for COP26.

She said she was “surprised and disappointed by the decision of individual bar associations not to participate in the COP26 duty scheme”.

In a letter sent to Ms Regan yesterday, Audrey Nicoll MSP, convenor of the Criminal Justice Committee, expressed concern “at the current situation and the decision of various associations representing solicitors not to participate in the weekend custody courts for COP26”.

The issue, she said, “needs immediate attention and resolution”.

“The committee requests an urgent joint update from the Scottish government and the Scottish Legal Aid Board on the steps you will be taking to resolve the current dispute, the impact on Police Scotland, our court service, and those arrested and kept in custody. We also request information on the contingency plans that will be put in place to deal with the situation if the dispute is not resolved before COP26 commences.”

Ms Nicoll said the committee was concerned “about the impact on Police Scotland and our court service if there are no lawyers available” to process the predicted spike in arrests.

She also requested information on the offers “you have put forward to try to resolve the situation and whether you have made, or may make, commitments to the longer term resolution of some of the issues in the legal aid system”.