Access to Justice Act 1999

13 Advice and assistance

(1) The Commission shall fund such advice and assistance as it considers appropriate—

(a) for individuals who are arrested and held in custody at a police station or other premises, and

(b) for individuals involved in criminal investigations in such other circumstances as may be prescribed;

and for this purpose “criminal investigations” means investigations relating to offences or to individuals convicted of an offence.

(2) The Commission may comply with the duty imposed by subsection (1) by—

(a) entering into contracts with persons or bodies for the provision of advice or assistance by them,

(b) making payments to persons or bodies in respect of the provision of advice or assistance by them,

(c) making grants or loans to persons or bodies to enable them to provide, or facilitate the provision of, advice or assistance,

(d) establishing and maintaining bodies to provide, or facilitate the provision of, advice or assistance,

(e) making grants to individuals to enable them to obtain advice or assistance,

(f) employing persons to provide advice or assistance, or

(g) doing anything else which it considers appropriate for funding advice and assistance.

(3) The Lord Chancellor may by order require the Commission to discharge the function in subsection (2) in accordance with the order.

(4) The Commission may fund advice and assistance by different means—

(a) in different areas in England and Wales, and

(b) in relation to different descriptions of cases.