§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Attorney-General what assistance the Government provide for British citizens to seek legal redress in foreign courts.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Government provide assistance for British citizens seeking legal redress in foreign courts in a number of ways.
Under the terms of the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid any person who resides permanently in a contracting country and who wishes to apply for legal aid in civil, commercial or administrative matters in another contracting country may submit his application to the legal aid authority in the country in which he resides for transmission to the other contracting country.
Where children are abducted from the United Kingdom to a country which is a party to either The Hague or European conventions of 1980 on international child abductions, the Lord Chancellor's Department acts as the central authority for the United Kingdom and communicates with central authorities in other contracting countries to facilitate the return of or access to the child.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and diplomatic and consular missions hold copies of lists of local lawyers which can be provided to inquirers on request.