Legal aid reform

Date: 7th September 2026
Category: General measures of implementation, Civil Rights and Freedoms

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Deadline 13^th October 2026

Scottish Government is consulting on a new Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill with the intention of creating a modernised, “simpler, more sustainable and user-focused framework”.

Launching the consultation, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety said: “At its heart, this is about building a system that works better for the people who rely on it and the professionals who deliver it.”

Share your views

As part of our Rights Empowered partnership with Clan Childlaw, we are encouraging members to share their views and evidence to inform Clan’s response.  

Clan is particularly keen to hear members’ views on proposals that would make legal aid available to organisations and community groups as well as individuals. They would welcome examples of cases that could not be pursued because legal aid was unavailable to your organisation, or where identifying an individual litigant was not possible - or not in a child’s best interests - as well as any wider experiences around legal aid you might wish to share.

Please contact RightsEmpowered@clanchildlaw.org if you would like to share your views or experiences.

Access Scottish Government’s legal aid reform consultation