§ Mr. VazTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will call for a report from the Legal Aid Board into the case of Abbas Gokal. [1913]
§ Mr. HoonIt is the courts not the Legal Aid Board that consider applications for legal aid in criminal cases. The Central Criminal Court granted legal aid in the case of Mr. Gokal. I obtained a report from the court about Mr. Gokal's application for legal aid in the light of the publicity following the jury's verdict in the case. I have since asked the Administrator at the court to review the court's procedures in relation to legal aid. I have also asked for all Crown Court centres to be alerted to the need for great care in the processing of applications for legal aid.