§ Mr. Hamlingasked the Attorney-General whether he will now recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the system of legal aid.
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo. The Legal Aid and Advice Schemes in civil matters are kept under review by the Advisory Committee set up under the provisions of Section 13 of the Legal Aid and Advice 159W Act, 1949. My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor is considering recent suggestions for making legal advice more readily available to members of the public. Legal Aid in criminal cases was the subject of a Report published in 1966 by a Committee presided over by Lord Justice Widgery, many of whose recommendations were implemented in the Criminal Justice Act, 1967.