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Public Bill Committee: 8 September 2011                  

118

 

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of , continued

 
 

(11B)    

The Lord Chancellor may, by regulations, amend the capital and income

 

eligibility thresholds provided for in paragraphs (b)(i), (iii) and (iv) to take

 

account of variations in the value of sterling.’.

 


 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

42

 

Schedule  2,  page  121,  line  15,  leave out ‘payable’ and insert ‘due’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

43

 

Schedule  2,  page  121,  line  27,  leave out ‘section 23’ and insert ‘MVO regulations’.

 


 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

117

 

Clause  25,  page  20,  line  3,  leave out subsection (3).

 


 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

108

 

Clause  26,  page  20,  line  34,  leave out subsections (1) to (4) and insert—

 

‘(1)    

Subject to subsection (2) the Lord Chancellor may discharge his duty under

 

section 1(1) by arranging for services to be provided by telephone or by other

 

electronic means.

 

(2)    

The Lord Chancellor may not arrange for services to be provided by telephone or

 

electronic means where an individual requests that advice be provided in person.

 

(3)    

An individual who qualifies under this Part for representation for the purposes of

 

any civil or criminal legal services may select any representative or

 

representatives willing to act for the individual, subject to regulations under

 

subsection (6).’.

 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

109

 

Clause  26,  page  21,  line  24,  leave out subsections (8) to (10).

 


 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

110

 

Clause  27,  page  21,  leave out line 39.

 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

111

 

Clause  27,  page  21,  leave out lines 44 and 45 and insert—


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 8 September 2011                  

119

 

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of , continued

 
 

‘(3)    

The withdrawal of a right to representation previously granted to an individual

 

shall not affect the’.

 


 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

112

 

Clause  28,  page  22,  line  8,  after ‘body’, insert ‘exercising functions of the Lord

 

Chancellor or the Director pursuant to section 5 or regulations made under that section,

 

including a body’.

 


 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

44

 

Schedule  3,  page  122,  line  26,  leave out ‘the person’s rights’ and insert ‘any rights

 

of the person’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

45

 

Schedule  3,  page  122,  line  26,  leave out ‘under European Union law’ and insert

 

‘that are enforceable EU rights’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

46

 

Schedule  3,  page  123,  line  22,  leave out ‘or other body’ and insert ‘, tribunal or

 

other person’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

47

 

Schedule  3,  page  123,  line  43,  after ‘determined’ insert ‘(provisionally or

 

otherwise)’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

48

 

Schedule  3,  page  124,  line  18,  at end insert—

 

      ‘()  

The Director may not make a provisional determination under sub-paragraph

 

(2)(b) unless authorised to do so by regulations under sub-paragraph (8).’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

49

 

Schedule  3,  page  124,  line  31,  leave out sub-paragraph (10).

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

50

 

Schedule  3,  page  124,  line  38,  after ‘determination’ insert ‘made’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

51

 

Schedule  3,  page  124,  line  39,  leave out ‘under section 15’ and insert ‘in reliance


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 8 September 2011                  

120

 

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of , continued

 
 

on section 17 or 18’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

52

 

Schedule  3,  page  124,  line  40,  after ‘under’ insert ‘sub-paragraph (2)(b) made

 

otherwise than in reliance on’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

53

 

Schedule  3,  page  125,  line  11,  at end insert—

 

‘7A      

In Schedule 2, references to criminal legal aid include advice, assistance and

 

representation required to be made available under paragraph 4 or 5 of this

 

Schedule.’.

 


 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

54

 

Clause  31,  page  23,  line  23,  leave out ‘an individual’s rights’ and insert ‘any rights

 

of an individual’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

55

 

Clause  31,  page  23,  line  23,  leave out ‘under European Union law’ and insert ‘that

 

are enforceable EU rights’.

 


 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

173

 

Schedule  5,  page  130,  line  32,  at end insert—

 

Children and Young Persons Act 1969 (c. 54)

 

3A  (1)  

Section 23(5A) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 (restrictions on

 

imposing security requirement on child or young person who is not legally

 

represented) is amended as follows.

 

      (2)  

In paragraph (a)—

 

(a)    

for the words from the beginning to “but the right” substitute

 

“representation was provided to the child or young person under Part

 

1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2011

 

for the purposes of the proceedings but”, and

 

(b)    

for “to be granted such a right” substitute “for such representation”.

 

      (3)  

In paragraph (aa) for “to be granted a right to it” substitute “for such

 

representation”.

 

3B  (1)  

In section 23 of that Act as it has effect pursuant to section 98 of the Crime and

 

Disorder Act 1998 (restrictions on remand of boy who is not legally

 

represented), subsection (4A) is amended as follows.

 

      (2)  

In paragraph (a)—

 

(a)    

for the words from the beginning to “but the right” substitute

 

“representation was provided to the person under Part 1 of the Legal


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 8 September 2011                  

121

 

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of , continued

 
 

Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2011 for the

 

purposes of the proceedings but”, and

 

(b)    

for “to be granted such a right” substitute “for such representation”.

 

      (3)  

In paragraph (aa) for “to be granted a right to it” substitute “for such

 

representation”.’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

174

 

Schedule  5,  page  131,  leave out lines 34 to 37.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

175

 

Schedule  5,  page  132,  line  43,  leave out ‘relating to’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

176

 

Schedule  5,  page  133,  line  21,  leave out ‘the end’ and insert ‘“Service”’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

177

 

Schedule  5,  page  134,  line  1,  after ‘for’, insert ‘by him’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

178

 

Schedule  5,  page  134,  line  2,  after ‘substitute’, insert ‘by the barrister’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

179

 

Schedule  5,  page  138,  line  3,  after ‘for’, insert ‘under’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

180

 

Schedule  5,  page  138,  line  20,  leave out ‘Section 33’ and insert ‘Sections 33(2) and

 

34’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

181

 

Schedule  5,  page  140,  line  5,  at end insert—

 

‘Equality Act 2010 (c. 15)

 

68         

In Part 1 of Schedule 19 to the Equality Act 2010 (public authorities) omit

 

“The Legal Services Commission.”

 

Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc Act 2010 (c. 38)

 

69         

In section 23(1)(d) (general power to disclose information) omit “the Legal

 

Services Commission,”.’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

182

 

Schedule  5,  page  140,  line  10,  in column 2, at end insert—

 

‘( )    

paragraph 1;’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 8 September 2011                  

122

 

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of , continued

 
 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

183

 

Schedule  5,  page  140,  line  12,  in column 2, leave out ‘and 11’ and insert ‘to 12’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

184

 

Schedule  5,  page  140,  line  13,  in column 2, leave out ‘16’ and insert ‘15’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

185

 

Schedule  5,  page  140,  line  17,  in column 2, at end insert—

 

‘( )    

paragraph 45;’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

186

 

Schedule  5,  page  140,  line  42,  in column 2, at beginning insert ‘In Schedule 16,

 

paragraphs 51(4) and 108(c).’.

 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

187

 

Schedule  5,  page  141,  line  9,  in column 2, leave out ‘paragraph’ and insert

 

‘paragraphs 65 and’.

 


 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

56

 

Clause  38,  page  27,  line  12,  leave out ‘body’ and insert ‘person’.

 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

113

 

Clause  38,  page  27,  leave out lines 32 to 34.

 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

114

 

Clause  38,  page  27,  line  38,  leave out from ‘25’ to ‘(6)’.

 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

115

 

Clause  38,  page  27,  line  39,  leave out ‘or (8)’.

 


 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

57

 

Clause  39,  page  28,  line  4,  leave out ‘body’ and insert ‘person’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 8 September 2011                  

123

 

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of , continued

 
 

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

 

58

 

Clause  39,  page  28,  line  29,  leave out from ‘19(4)’ to end of line 31.

 


 

New Clauses relating to part 1

 

Principles for the exercise of Lord Chancellor’s functions

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

NC1

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

In exercising his functions under this Act, the Lord Chancellor must have regard

 

to the principles in subsection (2).

 

(2)    

Those principles are—

 

(a)    

access to justice is the constitutional right of each citizen;

 

(b)    

the right of access to justice applies equally to civil and criminal law;

 

(c)    

the interests of the citizen should determine policy on access to justice

 

issues, not those of the providers of services;

 

(d)    

the constitutional right to be regarded as innocent until proven guilty

 

should be respected as the cardinal principle of criminal law;

 

(e)    

promoting access to justice requires policies across a range of areas

 

including law reform, education and legal services; and

 

(f)    

proposals for reform should take account of levels of resources but the

 

availability of resources should not dictate policy.’.

 


 

Alternative funding arrangements for legal aid

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

NC2

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘The Lord Chancellor may by regulations make provision for alternative sources

 

of funding to support the provision of Legal Aid.’.

 


 

Wasted cost orders in civil proceedings

 

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

 

NC3

 

To move the following Clause:—


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 8 September 2011                  

124

 

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of , continued

 
 

‘(1)    

Where a case is funded in accordance with section 8, the costs of and incidental

 

to proceedings in any Courts or Tribunals listed at Schedule 1, Part 3 shall be in

 

the discretion of the Tribunal or Court in which the proceedings take place save

 

insofar as subsection (2) has effect.

 

(2)    

A Tribunal must make a wasted costs order against a public authority where the

 

court or the Ministry of Justice has incurred costs as a result of any improper,

 

unreasonable or negligent act or omission on the part of the local authority or any

 

of its representatives including—

 

(a)    

an administrative failure which could have been prevented by due

 

diligence at individual or organisational level,

 

(b)    

a failure to make out an arguable case against the individual on the basis

 

of the facts and the law,

 

(c)    

a failure to concede a case at any stage where due to any new

 

development, whether evidential or legal, there is no longer an arguable

 

case against an individual,

 

(d)    

a fundamental misunderstanding or ignorance of the facts or the law in a

 

case which could have been prevented by the exercise of due diligence, or

 

(e)    

a delay in providing or failure to provide relevant information or

 

evidence, which could not be obtained otherwise than from the public

 

authority, without reasonable justification.

 

(3)    

A costs award under section 2 may reimburse the legal aid fund in the sum of any

 

amount of any costs which the Court or Tribunal assesses as flowing from the act

 

or omission.

 

(4)    

Where the Court or Tribunal concludes that proceedings before it would not have

 

been required, or would have been shorter or otherwise less expensive were not

 

for the act or omission, it may order that costs be paid to the Tribunal.

 

(5)    

Wasted costs awarded in accordance with subsection (3) and (4) above must not

 

exceed the amount of the actual wasted expenditure resulting from the act or

 

omission.

 

(6)    

For the purposes of this section “public authority” has the same meaning as in

 

section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998.’.

 


 

Kate Green

 

192

 

Clause  41,  page  29,  line  21,  at end insert—

 

‘(2A)    

After subsection (7) of that section insert—

 

“(8)    

The Lord Chancellor may by order prescribe that section 58(4A) and

 

(4B) and subsection (6) above shall not apply to any conditional fee

 

agreement where all of the following conditions are met—

 

(a)    

the proceedings include a claim by an individual or group of

 

individuals for damages in tort/delict or breach of contract;

 

(b)    

the damage is alleged to have occurred in a developing country;

 

(c)    

a judge of the High Court has certified (whether before or after

 

the commencement of court proccedings), that—

 

(i)    

the proposed litigation raises issues which ought, in the

 

interests of justice, to be considered by a court in

 

England or Wales;


 
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Revised 8 September 2011