Paying for Legal Services

Question 1

When was the legal aid system established?

Answer 1

1949

Question 2

What are conditional fee agreements?

Answer 2

No win, no fee.

Question 3

What are contingency fees?

Answer 3

Where lawyers receive a share of the successful claimant’s award for damages

Question 4

Is legal aid available for divorce proceedings?

Answer 4

No

Question 5

Is a person who wishes to bring proceedings against a newspaper for defamation entitled to legal aid?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

What are public defenders?

Answer 6

Attorneys appointed to represent people who cannot pay for them

Question 7

In the McLibel Two case, what did the European Court of Human Rights say about legal aid?

Answer 7

The ECHR rules in Steel & Morris v UK that the pair had been denied a fair trial, in breach of A6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and that their conduct should have been protected by A10 of the Convention, which protects the right to freedom of expression

Question 8

What reforms did Lord Jackson recommend should be made to the litigation process?

Answer 8

That the litigation process should be reformed by a coherent package of interlocking reforms, designed to control costs and promote access to justice

Question 9

What Act contains provisions implementing some of Lord Jackon’s key recommendations?

Answer 9

The legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012