Legal Aid Board deregisters criminal firm
26 Jul 05
Uddingston firm and principal removed for breach of Code of Practice
The Scottish Legal Aid Board announced today that it has removed the firm of Paul Kirk & Co, of Viewpark, Uddingston and its partner, Paul Gerard Kirk, from the Criminal Legal Assistance Register for failing to comply with the Code of Practice for Criminal Legal Assistance.
This means that neither the firm of Paul Kirk & Co nor Mr Kirk is now entitled to provide criminal legal aid or criminal advice and assistance under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986.
To register and remain registered to practise criminal legal assistance, individual firms and solicitors must show that they meet the standards of service set out by the Code in three main areas - management and administration systems, quality of service and standards of professional conduct.