SPUR Project

2008 Winner (15 of 15)

Study on Impact of Criminal Legal Aid Changes
Supervisors: Nick Johnson (Professional Legal Studies), Professor Mary Seneviratne (Academic legal Studies)

The project examined the impact of then recently introduced changes to the criminal legal aid system, in particular the effect of the introduction of a means test for eligibility for legal aid in the magistrates' court. Anecdotal evidence from the legal profession had suggested that defendants, particularly the self-employed, were receiving custodial sentences in the magistrates' court without being represented by a lawyer. The student researched whether there was evidence for this by examining court records and attending court and recording case outcomes. This was a preliminary project looking at the impact of these changes in Nottingham's magistrates' court, conducted with a view to applying for funding to undertake a similar nationwide project. The project was promoted by the Law Society and was fully supported by Nottinghamshire Law Society.

Project poster