Legal Aid Agency (LAA) meaning

In this issue: Public procurement Children’s social care Social care Planning Governance Education Social housing Healthcare Prosecutions by local authorities Daily and weekly news alerts New precedent—template order approving instruction of an expert whose hours or rates exceed Legal Aid Agency limits—public law Public procurement Cabinet Office updates PPNs on data protection and payment spot checks The Cabinet Office has introduced two additional new Procurement Policy Notes within the refreshed set of PPNs republished alongside the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) go-live—PPN 020: Guidance on data protection legislation and PPN 021: Payment Spot Checks in Public Sub-Contracts. PPN 020: Guidance on data protection legislation offers revised direction on relevant and applicable data protection obligations under the UK GDPR and the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) that regulate the transfer of personal data from the UK. PPN 020 takes effect immediately. It supersedes PPN 03/22, which provided streamlined guidance and refreshed model...

In this issue: Data protection Cybersecurity LexTalk®Information Law: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Data protection Data (Use and Access) Bill passes through Parliament and heads for royal assent On 11 June 2025, Parliament approved the Data (Use and Access) Bill (DUA Bill). First brought forward in October 2024, its approval concludes a lengthy legislative journey marked by notable legislative ‘ping pong’, comprising nine rounds of exchanges between the two Houses of Parliament over the Bill. A key flashpoint concerned the use of copyright-protected works in the development and training of AI systems. In the final debate on 11 June 2025, the House of Lords chose not to insist once again on its amendment, which would have triggered further government legislation on copyright infringement and transparency in AI. Instead, peers accepted a Commons amendment in lieu, obliging the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to place a progress statement before...

The impact of cyberattacks The repercussions of hacking for organisations, across both public and private sectors, are wide-ranging and deep. Financially, the toll can be vast. IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report notes UK breaches now average nearly £3.6m; public sector incidents are a little lower on average, yet climbing quickly. Immediate spend covers incident response and the restoration of systems, while longer-term exposure includes potential regulatory fines, legal liabilities, and enduring reputational harm that can linger. For the LAA, reputational repercussions are already plain to see. The Law Society has openly criticised the MoJ’s handling of the breach, pressing government to ‘get a grip of the situation’ and to notify affected individuals directly. Trust—the bedrock of the legal system—has been unsettled. Legal aid applicants, many already in vulnerable positions, now carry the extra risk of identity theft, fraud, and emotional distress. Probing incidents of this kind is intricate and resource-heavy, demanding sustained effort. The LAA breach is being investigated by the National Crime Agency and the...

This Practice Note sets out guidance on costs principles and the relevant case law that apply in public law children matters, such as care proceedings and adoption. It explains how the courts approach costs orders against parties, including local authorities, and addresses fact-finding hearings and situations involving an intervener. It also outlines the position on costs and the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) statutory charge where a claim for damages is pursued under the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998). General principles In children proceedings, the usual rule that costs follow the event does not operate; this is pursuant to the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010), SI 2010/2955, 28.2(1), which disapplies CPR 44.2(2)...

This Practice Note explains who qualifies for public funding in care proceedings, what that funding covers, including expert witness fees and translation charges, and what items require prior authority before they are covered. It also outlines how to seek prior authority and offers guidance on what requests are likely to be approved. Public funding for parties is administered by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. Public funding means the relevant party’s solicitor applies to the LAA for a legal aid certificate and, if issued, may carry out work for the publicly funded client, with the solicitor’s costs and disbursements repaid by the LAA at the end of the case. Who is eligible for public funding in care proceedings? Automatically eligible, without any means or merits test, in a local authority application for a care or supervision order are: biological parents of the subject children in the care proceedings individuals holding parental responsibility for the subject children (for...

If your organisation holds a legal aid contract with the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), you are required to hold either the Specialist Quality Mark (SQM) or the Lexcel Practice Management Standard (Lexcel). This Practice Note highlights precedents you may adopt or tailor to meet SQM obligations within the scope of these two modules. A: Access to service A1: Business planning Consumer strategic business plan Commercial strategic business plan Minutes from the biannual review of the business plan and strategy A2: Service promotion Publicity policy—for law firms Publicity materials audit form—for law firms Register of publicity Client care manual A3: Equality and diversity Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policy—short form Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policy Harassment and bullying policy A4: Safeguarding Safeguarding procedures are not included. B: Seamless service Signposting and referral procedures are not included...