Legal aid schemes for members of the public

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Legal aid schemes for members of the public
Brian Ruddie, Defra Legal Advisers Treasury
Solicitors Department Aarhus Convention - Task
Force on Access to Justice Geneva - 25 February
2014
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Provision of legal aid in England Wales

• Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders
  Act 2012
• Civil legal services
• Judicial review potential to produce a benefit
  for individual, member of individuals family or
  environment
• Nuisance pollution of the environment

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Eligibility tests

• Means test income and capital
• The Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources and
  Payment for Services Regulations) 2013
• Benefits passport
• Public interest waiver
• Merits test proportionality and prospects of
  success
• The Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) Regulations
  2013
• Judicial review reforms