Justice minister Sarah Sackman has confirmed changes to civil legal aid rules that will provide ‘greater flexibility’ to providers. In a letter to Commons justice committee chair Andy Slaughter, Sackman said the amendment of the standard civil contracts for legal aid would allow for the provision of remote legal advice.

She said: ‘We intend to remove the current contract requirements for providers to have permanent office locations open for periods in a week, and the contract requirements limiting the number of applications for controlled work that can be conducted without the client being present.

‘We intend to replace these requirements with ones which enable providers to conduct work more flexibly, based around the needs of their clients and areas they service - while ensuring that in-person advice remains available, in appropriate and accessible locations and environments, for clients who need it.’

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A consultation on the changes will open ‘shortly’, Sackman said. 

Law Society president Mark Evans, said: ‘The Ministry of Justice has taken a step towards offering more operational flexibility to firms carrying out vital legal aid work. However, any proposals to remove existing contract requirements must be carefully balanced to ensure people who rely on face-to-face support can still access it.

‘We will review the proposals carefully to ensure they genuinely improve access to justice and that this essential public service is available to everyone.’