Scam texts and emails relating to fines continue to circulate. We do not send payment links in our texts or emails. If you get a message about a fine and are unsure whether it is genuine, please contact our call centre on 0800 4 FINES (0800 434 637) before clicking links or making any payment. Read more about identifying scams.
The Act disestablished the Legal Services Agency, transferred the administration of legal aid to the Ministry of Justice and created the new position of Legal Services Commissioner. This person is an employee of the Ministry.
The Commissioner has a number of functions which must be carried out independently of the Ministry, including:
granting legal aid
determining legal aid repayments
assigning legal aid providers or services
allocating legal aid cases to salaried lawyers, overseeing their conduct and managing their performance.