| answer text |
<p>The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is not aware of having received any applications to
date for public funding for representation at an inquest from the families of the
victims of Stephen Port.</p><p> </p><p>When assessing such applications in general,
the Director of Legal Aid Casework (DLAC) must have regard to the Lord Chancellor’s
guidance set out under section 4(3) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of
Offender’s Act (LASPO) 2012. The criteria applied by the Legal Aid Agency are outlined
under Section 10 of LASPO. The DLAC must also determine whether an applicant meets
the financial eligibility test as provided in the Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources
and Payment for Services) Regulations 2013, or decide whether to waive financial eligibility
and/or contribution to costs in whole or in part, as well as satisfy the merits criteria
set out in the Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) Regulations 2013.</p><p> </p><p>An
application for legal aid may be submitted to the LAA in order for such a determination
to be made.</p>
|
|
