Access to justice is a fundamental right in a free society, but for a number of years now, there have been dire warnings from the legal profession in Scotland that this access may soon be a luxury only the rich can afford. Legal aid is in crisis and it is the least advantaged in our communities who are suffering. The right to free legal aid in criminal cases in Scotland is centuries old but with solicitors leaving the profession, even if you are eligible, you may struggle to find representation.
There are currently 911 solicitors in Scotland on the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s criminal register. The number of solicitors over the age of 50 outnumber those under 30, by a ratio of two to one. There is already a crisis in legal aid, but the next five to ten years could be catastrophic.
Follow along here for all the articles in our series. Day One 'Imminent wasteland': Third of criminal lawyers due to retire in next 10 years More than a third of legal aid lawyers in Scotland due to retire in the next decade, leading to fears that the current crisis in criminal law could be “unsolvable”. Andrew Learmonth and Rebecca McCurdy investigate.
Explainer: What is legal aid and who qualifies to get it? Kathleen Nutt explains who qualifies for legal aid in Scotland and how it operates. On the frontline of Scotland's legal aid crisis: the views from the profession Our political team speak to those on the frontlines of the legal profession and what problems they experience and see arising .
