Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed the announcement of Scottish Government plans to extend the availability of civil legal aid from people with a disposable income under £10,306 to those under £25,000. This will make an additional 1 million Scots eligible to receive legal aid, an increase from 43% of the population to 74%.
Under the new rules, civil legal aid applicants would pay the following contribution from their disposable income:
- No contribution if annual disposable income is below £3,355
- One third of the amount by which their disposable income exceeds £3,355, up to £10,995
- Plus 50 per cent of any disposable income between £10,996 and £15,000
- Plus 100 per cent of any disposable income over £15,001 up to the upper limit of £25,000
- The rest of any case costs would be met through legal aid payments.
Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:
“This is an important move in these difficult economic times as people unfortunately find themselves facing repossession and in need of legal representation that can be extremely difficult to afford.
“By extending the provision of legal aid in such cases, the Scottish Government is providing an important extra layer of protection for people struggling with the downturn.
“The previous system prevented people on what were relatively modest incomes from pursuing costly legal action and I am glad that this situation is being brought to an end. Justice should be available to all, and I am sure people in Banff & Buchan will join me in welcoming any measure that helps to ensure this”.
