Skip to main content

Approved Panel Minutes - Legal Aid Review Panel - 2021

This content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost. Let us know if you find any major problems.

Text in this format is not official and should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments. Please see the PDF for the official version of the document.

Legal Aid Review Panel

Records of Meetings

Year: 2021

The following records of meetings have been approved by the Panel. Signed

Chairman

Deputy Steve Ahier

Meeting held by video conference

Date: 26th January 2021

 

Present

Deputy Steve Ahier (Chair) Connétable Richard Vibert Deputy David Johnson Deputy Rob Ward

In attendance

Andrew Harris , Committee and Panel Officer Anna Thorne , Committee and Panel Officer Theo Stone, Research and Project Officer

 

Agenda matter

 Action

1. Review Panel Work Programme

The Panel noted the length of time that had passed since the adoption of the Draft Access to Justice (Jersey) Law 201- [P.23/2019] on 1st May 2019, and noted that the Guidelines required the Advisory Committee to provide a report to the Chief Minister no later than 6 months after its establishment.

The Panel agreed to write to the Chief Minister to seek an update on the progress made and when the Guidelines would be finalised and presented to the States Assembly, with the Bâtonnier, Judicial Greffier and Law Society of Jersey cc'd into the letter, and to seek an update on the use of the Legal Aid Office.

AH

2. Future Meetings

The Panel agreed that it would wait until the response from the Chief Minister had been received, after which it would arrange further meetings accordingly.

AH

Meeting held by video conference

Date: 16th February 2021

 

Present

Deputy Steve Ahier (Chair) Connétable Richard Vibert Deputy David Johnson Deputy Rob Ward

In attendance

Andrew Harris , Principal Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer

 

Agenda matter

 Action

1. Records of Minutes

The Panel approved the record of the meeting held on the 26th January 2021.

 

2. Review Panel Work Programme

The Panel noted and discussed a letter from the Chief Minister and indicative implementation  timetable  for  the  proposed  Legal  Aid  Scheme  received  5th February 2021.

The Panel noted and discussed draft Legal Aid Guidelines provided to the Panel in confidence by the Chief Minister, received 11th February 2021.

The Panel agreed that the Chief Minister would be invited to brief it on the Legal Aid Scheme and Draft Guidelines, requesting that officers make the necessary arrangements.

The Panel agreed that the Judicial Greffier, in his capacity as Chair of the Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Committee (LAGAC), would be invited to meet with it to discuss the Legal Aid Scheme and Draft Guidelines, requesting that officers make the necessary arrangements. The Panel agreed that an additional representative of the LAGAC would also be welcome to attend.

The Panel agreed that it would be useful to compare the current Legal Aid Scheme with the Draft Guidelines and requested that officers compose a briefing document.

AH AH PL

3. Future Meetings

The Panel agreed that it would meet prior to receiving the Chief Minister or Judicial Greffier.

AH

Date: 14th April 2021

 

Present

Deputy Steve Ahier (Chair) Deputy David Johnson Deputy Rob Ward

Apologies

Connétable Richard Vibert

In attendance

Deputy  Kirsten   Morel ,  member,  Legal  Aid  Guidelines  Advisory Committee

Helen Miles , member, Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Committee Neville Benbow, Chief Executive, Jersey Law Society

Adam Clarke, Judicial Greffier

David Le Marquand, Policy Principal

Andrew Harris , Principal Committee and Panel Officer Anna Thorne , Committee and Panel Officer

Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer

 

Agenda matter

 Action

1. Briefing on Legal Aid Guidelines

The Panel welcomed Deputy Morel , representatives of the Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Committee and Law Society, who briefed it on the Legal Aid Guidelines. This meeting was held in private in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (as amended) under Qualified Exemption Article 35.

 

2. Post Briefing Discussion

The Panel agreed that a letter would be written to the Chief Minister to ascertain an updated timetable for the lodging of the Appointed Days Act of the Legal Aid Guidelines.

PL

Date: 14th July 2021

 

Present

Deputy Steve Ahier (Chair) Deputy David Johnson Deputy Rob Ward

Apologies

 

In attendance

Anna Thorne , Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer

 

Agenda matter

 Action

1. Access to Justice (Jersey) Law 2019 (Appointed Day) Act 202-

The Panel noted and discussed a draft comments paper on the Access to Justice (Jersey) Law 2019 (Appointed Day) Act 202- P.63/2021.

PL

The Panel agreed a number of changes to the wording of the draft and agreed that a final version would be reviewed for approval electronically.