New committee broadens outlook
6 Oct 05
Remit and membership of the new Access to Justice Committee
The Law Society of Scotland took the decision in the spring to create an Access to Justice Committee. While the Society, through the Legal Aid Solicitors Committee, continues to work closely with the Scottish Legal Aid Board and Scottish Executive on reforms to publicly funded legal assistance, there are broader issues that the Society is also keen to address.
The new committee’s remit encompasses all issues relating to access to justice, not just legal aid. The committee is keen to engage with other interested organisations and will have a proactive agenda.
The committee’s first task has been to respond to the Scottish Executive’s consultation “Advice for All: Publicly Funded Legal Assistance in Scotland”, featured in the interview with the Deputy Justice Minister in the July Journal. This paper represents the first steps in what will be significant reform of the legal aid system in Scotland and much of the future work of the committee will flow from these reforms.
The Society gave careful consideration to the committee’s membership. The eight members, four solicitors and four non-lawyers, will give the committee a unique perspective on all access to justice issues. The members are:
Ian Smart (Convener), of Ian Smart & Co, Cumbernauld; Joyce Cullen, chairman of Brodies LLP and head of the litigation team there; Colin Imrie, a Scottish based senior policy adviser and manager; Mary Kinninmonth, manager of the Dundee citizens’ advice bureau; Morag Owens, now retired after working for over 30 years in the area of criminal justice social work; Margaret Ross, senior lecturer in the University of Aberdeen School of Law and a former practising court and family lawyer; Gerard Sinclair, chief executive and principal solicitor of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission; and Douglas Watson, former chief superintendent, Lothian and Borders Police.
For further information please contact Stuart Drummond, secretary to the committee (0131 476 8147; stuartdrummond@lawscot.org.uk).