Explanatory Notes

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012

2012 CHAPTER 10

1 May 2012

Commentary

Part 1: Legal Aid

Civil legal aid

Section 8: Civil legal services

91.Section 8 defines civil legal services for the purposes of Part 1.

92.Subsections (1) and (2) explain what is meant by “legal services”, namely services comprising advice and assistance provided in relation to the law as it applies to a particular case, legal proceedings and the resolution of legal disputes. Those services include, in particular, representation and mediation (and other forms of dispute resolution).

93.Subsection (3) provides that “civil legal services” are all legal services other than those services that are required to be made available under the provisions about criminal legal aid. This is in order to avoid any overlap between civil and criminal legal aid.