Safeguards to protect individual decisions on the granting of civil legal aid

The proposals follow the Access to Justice Review Report 2011 which recommended that the status of the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission change from a Non Departmental Public Body to an Executive Agency of the Department of Justice.  In considering this recommendation the department recognises the importance of having in place robust arrangements to protect the independence of individual decisions on the granting of civil legal aid.  The consultation document sets out a number of proposed safeguards to protect that independence.

• Access to Justice Review 2011