legal aid

[princerupe74]

how does someone get legal aid? who qualifies for it? I gather even Asil Nadir has managed to get it!

[tonywiltshire]

Legal aid is paid by the Legal Services Commission and is only available for certain types of both criminal and civil cases. A means test is applied to see if you can afford to pay yourself, if you can and the threshold is very low, you will not be eligible for legal aid. The rates paid are quite low and a number of lawyers will not work for the amount offered but many good lawyers will. You can obtain more information from the Community Legal Advice service on telephone [phone].

I have no knowledge on the situation regarding Mr Nadir.

[rojash]

It's one of the primary requirements of the legal add scheme. Rich people get legal aid, poor people go straight to jail and do not collect £200.

[FredPuli43]

Legal aid will be granted in cases of the utmost seriousness or complexity, methinks,even though the accused has money.The prospect of a man defending himself on a murder charge or in a case like Nadir's is pretty daunting. Nadir would have added a few months to the trial by that alone!

You may say that wouldn't happen and he'd stump up for a suitable QC and other counsel.Perhaps Nadir would, but that was unlikely because he'd claim that he hadn't got that sort of money, his apparent attitude being that he was living in comfort through the generosity of friends, but the remedy is simple. Legal aid would cost less overall, because the fees are lower, and if the man is convicted he can be ordered to pay costs. In Nadir's case, on conviction, the court is bound to investigate what assets he has, held under various guises or controlled by him, at far greater length and in far greater detail than Legal Aid could or would do, and try to get the money..It appears that an order for costs is being made against Nadir.