A new legal aid category and simpler fee scheme for solicitors are part of a blueprint unveiled by the government today to cope with the anticipated surge in legally aided inquests once Hillsborough Law comes into force.

In a consultation document published today, the Ministry of Justice said the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, to be known as Hillsborough Law, will increase the number of legally aided inquests a year from 200-400 to as much as 11,400. ‘Our current legal aid arrangements for inquests need to be developed to meet the challenges of scope and scale of this expansion,’ the document states.

Under the current legal aid system, inquest matters fall in whichever category is most relevant to the underlying subject matter. Providers therefore need to hold a contract in the category most closely linked to the subject matter. This also means varied fees.

The ministry proposes a single fee scheme for legal help work. Fee rates for ‘service elements’ of legal help, such as travel and waiting, and routine letters and calls, and advocacy would be brought together.

Law Society president Mark Evans said the proposed changes were a ‘step in the right direction’ to reduce the daily bureaucracy faced by firms. Bringing advocacy and solicitors’ work under a single legal aid certificate created ‘a simpler and more efficient system’. However, the proposed level of funding into the system would be ‘nowhere near adequate’ to secure sufficient capacity to handle the vast increase in the number of inquests in which families will qualify for legal aid.

‘Without enough lawyers to undertake this work, bereaved families will not find themselves on the level playing field this legislation offers them,’ Evans warned.

The consultation will close on 19 June and the government’s response will be published by the autumn. The government expects the bill to receive Royal assent this autumn.