Virtual sessions will assess market readiness for expanded Legal Aid in inquests involving public authorities
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is holding a series of virtual market engagement sessions with providers and stakeholders to discuss the potential impact of proposed legal aid reforms linked to the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.
The exercise is intended to help assess market readiness for planned changes that, subject to parliamentary approval, would expand access to legal aid for bereaved families at inquests involving public authorities.
Under the proposals, legal help and advocacy would become available on a non-means tested basis where a public authority is designated as an interested person. The government has estimated that the changes could increase the number of legally aided inquest cases significantly, from around 200–400 cases annually to approximately 11,400.
The engagement sessions will explore how the legal aid market could respond to the projected rise in demand and whether changes to contracting arrangements may be required. Options under consideration include the creation of a dedicated, non-exclusive inquests contract category within the civil legal aid scheme.
Alongside this, policymakers are examining possible changes to the delivery framework for inquest legal aid, including widening the scope of “other legal services” to allow legal help and advocacy to operate through a more integrated model.
The market engagement exercise accompanies a separate consultation on proposed reforms to inquest legal aid fees, including plans for a single legal help fee scheme and consolidated arrangements for advocacy and legal help payments.
The Legal Aid Agency said stakeholders unable to attend the virtual sessions would still be able to provide feedback. The consultation on fee reforms closes on 19 June.