Bram

When paying for Legal aid does the UK Taxpayer purchase at same cost as say costed for prosecution.

What I mean if we pay for prosecution labour costs are these the same for both. If they are the same why is it more lucractive to be defense and why does the best lawyers/QC all jump to be defenders. If everything is equal all well and good, but it seams the defense has weighted on their side with lawyers ad QC ability and costs derived.

I would also ask why a win and no fee position cannot be adopted which must be better for taxpayers or a threshold of cost per case comparable with prosecution salary/hourly rate.

A greater understanding of this would be appreciated, I do like know what my part of my tax has to fund year on year.

Snazy

How very random

However I would assume that there is a limit somewhere to the cost of legal aid. Solicitors offering LA normally make it known, so maybe there is an agreed rate amongst them.

Defence can always charge more as freedom is worth more than justice to put it bluntly.

No win no fee would not be a better option as it would remove peoples ability to defend their rights in their mind. With the solicitor becoming the magistrate or jury, deciding the case on its monitary value rather than morals and ethics, and long before it ever reached court.

As for what your tax goes on, let it go mate, think about it too long and you will end up like PSL !

Bram

Your right in a bit but as to quote the scottish Legal aid board results

408,654 grants of legal assistance, according to our Annual Report for 2006-2007. The cost to the taxpayer of legal aid was £150.2 million, an increase of 2% or £2.3 million. The increase reverses the fall in costs seen the previous year and has brought spending to the second highest ever level.

The top Legal firm made £1.7 million in theses results alone.

I have not looked at England.

Bram

The most information I have seen for England costs but a bit dated

Altogether in this year (2005-06) £375m was paid for criminal cases and £148m for civil cases to the barristers. Solicitor firms were paid £821m for criminal work and £472m for civil work.

But its only tax, i wonder why MP's never raise this for debate in house of commons or scottish parliement

Oh a one other bit

The highest paid legal aid providers are immigration and asylum specialists. Is more money being spent on asylum seekers?
No, less. Costs are down in cash terms from £201 million in 2003/04 to £177 million in 2004/05 and £107m in 2005/06. The cash spend for 2006/07 is projected to drop to £88m. The reduction is due to a combination of the major reforms introduced by the LSC in recent years and the significant fall in the number of people seeking asylum.
However, this work remains fundamental to social justice and promoting social inclusion. It offers legal help to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. People are granted asylum when they face threats to their lives and liberty that are unacceptable to a civilised society. Many have seen family members killed or imprisoned for political or religious beliefs, suffered torture, rape and other forms of persecution.

Just in case you feel immagrants are taking a lot of the costs up, but these costings are a few years back.