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<p>HM Treasury does not comment on individual licensing cases.</p><p> </p><p>HM Treasury’s
Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) takes operational decisions relating
to the implementation of financial sanctions in line with the relevant regulations.
OFSI has not considered it appropriate for the Treasury to effectively decide on whether
a case has sufficient merit to be permitted to proceed by deciding whether to license
legal fees. Rather, OFSI's position has been that the merits should be decided by
the appropriate court. OFSI assesses cases on a costs-basis only, ensuring that the
fees requested are reasonable in accordance with the derogations available under the
sanctions regimes.</p><p> </p><p>We need to carefully balance the right to legal representation
- which is a fundamental one - with wider issues, including the aim and purpose of
the sanctions. It is right therefore that Ministers are examining whether there are
any changes that can be made to this policy.</p>
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