The impact of COVID-19 on the availability of legal advice for survivors of trafficking and slavery
/ATLEU are calling for an immediate change to the way legal aid payments are structured on trafficking cases. We are asking the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the Legal Aid Agency:
Pay legal aid providers on the basis of the number of hours of advice provided on a trafficking case (and not on a standard fee basis)
Enable legal aid providers to claim for the hours of advice undertaken every six months, during the life of a trafficking case
Reimburse legal aid providers for any expenses incurred on a trafficking case on a monthly basis (the same time period which a legal aid provider is expected to pay suppliers, such as interpreters or experts, under the terms of a legal aid contract).
These simple changes can be delivered through existing legal aid mechanisms and would not require additional funding. They are an essential step that must be taken during this crisis to safeguard quality advice, and any advice, for victims of trafficking and slavery.
