| answer text |
<p>All individual case funding decisions are taken by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA).
It is important that these decisions are, and are seen to be, free from political
and Government influence.</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid can be provided, if the matter or
issue in question is within scope of the legal aid scheme, as defined in the Legal
Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO).</p><p> </p><p>Legal
aid is available for advice and assistance for all inquests, subject to a means and
merits test. Legal aid funding for legal representation for a family, during an inquest
hearing, is not in scope of LASPO.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises that for
certain inquests, bereaved people may require representation; legal aid may therefore
be available, through the Exceptional Case Funding scheme, if certain criteria are
met:</p><p> </p><p>(a) if a failure to provide such representation would breach, or
likely risk a breach of, the government’s obligations under the European Convention
of Human Rights, usually Article 2; or</p><p>where the Director of Legal Aid Casework
(DLAC) makes a determination that there is a ‘wider public interest’ in legal representation
being granted.</p>
|
|
