The Ministry aims to audit all legal aid providers at least once every five years. The audit programme enables the Ministry to review the quality and value of the service provided to legally aided clients. It ensures that everyone accessing legal aid services is receiving a consistent level of service.
Each year the Ministry prepares a report about the legal aid audits completed during the previous financial year. Each report includes information about the number of audits completed, the ratings given to the legal aid providers audited, and the major themes and issues identified in that year’s programme.
The reports also include a breakdown of the type of issues found at each audit rating, ranging from 1 – Excellent to 5 – Very poor. Those sections also feature direct quotes from individual audits. Some of the reports also discuss the steps taken by the Secretary for Justice to sanctions legal aid providers who have not complied with their obligations.