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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 18 February 2026 [Draft]

18 Feb 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Portfolio Question Time
Legal Aid Reforms
Brown, Siobhian SNP Ayr Watch on SPTV

Our reforms to legal aid will strengthen access to justice, which is a central aim of our changes. Parliament has approved reforms to children’s and criminal legal aid to remove means and merit testing in the children’s hearings system and to reduce financial barriers for young people who are moving on from care. For criminal cases, the reforms will reduce complexity, support early resolution of cases and guarantee timely representation.

The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025 will remove restrictions that prevent charities, law centres and citizens advice bodies from directly employing solicitors to provide certain legal services. In addition, the legal aid traineeship fund is part of our longer-term commitment to improving the sustainability and capacity of the legal aid profession.

In the same item of business

4. Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP
To ask the Scottish Government how the recently announced legal aid reforms will ensure the accessibility of justice. (S6O-05526)
The Minister for Victims and Community Safety (Siobhian Brown) SNP
Our reforms to legal aid will strengthen access to justice, which is a central aim of our changes. Parliament has approved reforms to children’s and criminal...
Paul McLennan SNP
Will the minister explain how the reforms will ensure equality of access, particularly in more remote areas?
Siobhian Brown SNP
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring access to justice in remote areas. Funding is available to allow solicitors to travel to remote parts of the...
Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con) Con
A recent survey by the Law Society of Scotland found that 41 per cent of solicitors are either planning to stop legal aid work within two years or are unsure...
Siobhian Brown SNP
As the member and Parliament know, I have been working closely with the legal profession over the past couple of years to see what can be put in place to imp...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP
Question 5 comes from Clare Adamson, who joins us remotely.