CAS welcomes Holyrood Report

CAS welcomes Holyrood report urging Civil Legal Aid reform 

Citizens Advice Scotland has welcomed the report from the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee inquiry into Civil Legal Assistance in Scotland. 

CAS spokesperson Hyo Eun Shin said:  

“There are too many barriers to accessing justice in Scotland, particularly when it comes to accessing civil legal aid.  

“We see cases of people having to travel more than 150 miles to access a legal aid solicitor who will take on their case, and people that have to struggle through potentially life-changing legal proceedings on their own or are forced to give up – that is simply unacceptable.  

“In a bid to break down these barriers, we provided evidence to the Committee, emphasising that cost, geography and legal specialism should not be a barrier to accessing legal aid and everyone needing legal aid support should be able to access it to realise their rights. We highlighted issues with the current system and called for urgent reforms to place users at its heart, shift resources to early intervention and prevention approaches, and simplify the application and administrative processes for all users of the system. 

“We’re pleased to see that many of our suggestions have been picked up by the Committee but more needs to be done.  

“Barriers to accessing justice in Scotland need to be addressed, and the barriers currently faced in accessing civil legal aid are a huge part of this. We hope this report helps shine a spotlight on these issues and prompts concerted and systematic action to build a legal system where everyone has access to justice.”