Part IV Criminal Legal Aid

21 Scope and nature of criminal legal aid.

1

This Part of this Act applies to legal aid in connection with—

a

criminal proceedings before any of the following—

i

the High Court of Justiciary;

F9ia

the Sheriff Appeal Court;

ii

the sheriff;

iii

the district court;

F1aa

any case the referral of which is required, under section 2(6) of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993, by a F2designated life prisoner;

and,

b

any reference in connection with such proceedings under F7Article 267 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

F3c

any reference, appeal or application for special leave to appeal to the F4Supreme Court under paragraph 11 or 13(a) of Schedule 6 to the Scotland Act 1998

F8d

any reference, appeal or application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court under section 288ZB or 288AA of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995

and such legal aid is referred to in this Act as “criminal legal aid”.

2

The Secretary of State may, by regulations made under this section, prescribe by reference to such considerations as appear to him to be appropriate any class or stage of proceedings in connection with which criminal legal aid shall or, as the case may be, shall not be available.

3

Subject to regulations made under this section, and to sections 22 and 23 of this Act, criminal legal aid shall not be available in connection with summary criminal proceedings until the conclusion of the first diet at which the accused has tendered a plea of not guilty.

4

Criminal legal aid shall consist of representation, on terms provided for by this Act—

a

by a solicitor and F5, where appropriate, by counsel;

b

by a solicitor at any identification parade held, by or on behalf of the prosecutor (within the meaning of F6section 307 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995), in connection with or in contemplation of criminal proceedings against the person so represented,

and shall include all such assistance as is usually given by a solicitor or counsel in the steps preliminary to or incidental to criminal proceedings.