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Letter - to Chief Minister re Progress of Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Panel - 28 January 2021

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States Greffe: Scrutiny

Senator John Le Fondré Chief Minister

28th January 2021 Dear Chief Minister,

Legal Aid Review Panel

Progress of the Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Panel

I am writing to you to seek an update on the progress made by the Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Committee. We note that Article 6, Paragraph (9) of the Access to Justice (Jersey) Law 2019 (P.23/2019),  which  was  adopted  by  the  States  Assembly  on  1st  May  2019,  required  the Committee to "make a report to the Minister for the purpose of advising and assisting him or her under paragraph (1) no later than 6 months after its establishment under that paragraph."

Please could you confirm whether a report has been presented to you by the Advisory Committee, and if so, what action has been taken by both yourself and Officers so that the recommended Legal Aid Scheme may be presented to the States Assembly as soon as possible.

If a report has not yet been provided to you, please could you outline in confidence what work has so far been undertaken by the Advisory Committee and its two sub-groups to develop the new Guidelines, when you expect to receive their final report, and when you expect to propose the new Guidelines to the States Assembly.

We have copied the Batonnier, the Judicial Greffier, and the Law Society of Jersey into this letter so that they are made aware of this letter and so that they may provide additional information to the Panel relevant to its contents should they see fit.

Please could you provide a response to this letter by close of business on Wednesday 3rd February. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Deputy Steve Ahier

Chair, Legal Aid Review Panel

CC  David Cadin, Batonnier

Adam Clarke, Judicial Greffier The Law Society of Jersey

States Greffe: Scrutiny | Morier House | St Helier | Jersey | JE1 1DD Tel: 01534 441080 | email: scrutiny@gov.je | web: statesassembly.gov.je