Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Scots Legal Aid ‘a £161Million public subsidy for legal profession’ as EU report reveals judges salaries & lawyers legal aid claims come before public's access to justice

Scottish justice in the Dock - Sunday Mail 30 September 2012EU report reveals Scots justice is more about lawyers & judges making money than delivering justice. A REPORT published by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice and featured in an article in Scotland’s Sunday Mail newspaper has revealed Scottish lawyers take tens of millions of pounds more in publicly funded legal aid representing the Scots population of just over five million people than lawyers working Italy, which has a population of sixty million, twelve times greater than that of Scotland.

The figures show that Scots lawyers ‘earned’ around ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY MILLION POUNDS of legal aid in 2010 while their Italian counterparts working for a much larger client base only took £100million, making the Scots legal aid bill, running at a cost of £31 a head, the most expensive in Europe in terms of population. The grim figures show that Scots legal aid is working out at a cost of £31 a head, with little in the way of access to justice to show for it.

The report, available on the EU website HERE (pdf) or online here : The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice Report on Evaluation of European Judicial Systems also reveals Scots judges are paid the highest in Europe with Scottish Sheriffs taking home an average taxpayer funded salary of a staggering £120,000, while others on Scotland’s judicial benches take up to £200,000 a year plus expenses.

The eye watering figures show Scottish judges are earning up to 5.2 times the average salary of workers in Scotland, even though our justice system, both criminal & civil is now internationally famed as little more than a complete mess, branded a justice system akin to a Banana Republic by Hans Kochler, the UN Observer to the Lockerbie Trial.

Scotland’s civil justice system has also come in for repeated criticism in the 2009 Civil Courts Review, being described by the current Lord President, Lord Gill, in a speech reproduced in full here  as unfit for purpose, “Victorian”, out of date and that it is “failing society” yet despite Lord Gill’s attack on the credibility of Scots justice, little real reform has taken place in the past four years since he made his scathing remarks.

Among other issues covered, the EU report confirms there is a significant failure of self regulation of Scotland’s legal profession, where the report showed that Scotland disciplined only a handful of lawyers compared to countries of similar size, reporting that only three solicitors were struck off and thirteen reprimanded in 2010 while Denmark, a country with a similar population to Scotland took action against 309 lawyers, striking off six while another 145 were fined. Even Finland, with a similar sized population to Scotland manage to sanction 99 lawyers, leaving no doubt Scotland’s lawyers get away with looking after their own too much.

Here is the Sunday Mail's feature on how the Scots legal system is failing society, milking hundreds of millions of pounds of publicly funded legal aid while our judges take home huge salaries for presiding over our crumbling courts system … inescapable facts which show Scots justice does not translate into increased access to justice for ordinary Scots.

Scottish justice in the Dock - Sunday Mail 30 September 2012SCOTTISH JUSTICE IN THE DOCK : Scotland's lawyers earn more from Legal Aid than whole of Italy, shock report reveals

By Russell Findlay Sunday Mail 30 September 2012

THE European Commission report reveals that Legal Aid in Scotland cost 203million euros (£161million) in 2010 - more than in Italy, which has a population of 61million.

SCOTS lawyers collected more taxpayers’ cash for Legal Aid than their counterparts in Italy – a country 12 times the size.

A European Commission report reveals that Legal Aid in Scotland cost 203million euros (£161million) in 2010 – around 39 euros, or £31, for every one of our 5.2million people.

Lawyers in Italy, which has a population of 61million, got just £100million of public cash – £1.50 per person.

The 450-page Brussels report also found that Denmark, with 5.6million people, paid its lawyers only 88million euros (£70million).

And in Belgium – population 10.9million – legal aid cost 75million euros (£59million).

The revelations, in a 450-page report by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice – came as the Scottish Legal Aid Board banned three lawyers from claiming cash for criminal cases.

We can reveal that Gerard Tierney, Massimo D’Alvito and Andrew Brophy, of Blantyre, Lanarkshire, breached the board’s code of practice. Tierney and D’Alvito have been reported to the Crown Office, who will decide whether to prosecute.

The ban also extends to Tierney’s firm G Tierney & Co, of Auchinleck, Ayrshire, who have raked in £610,500 in Legal Aid over three years, and Edinburgh firm Massimo D’Alvito Defence Lawyers.

The European report looked at 47 criminal justice systems across the continent.

It found the cost per person of Legal Aid in Scotland was third-highest – behind only Northern Ireland and England and Wales. The cost per person was 53.5 euros in Northern Ireland and 45.7 euros in England and Wales.

The findings led to calls for a radical overhaul of Legal Aid.

Central Ayrshire Labour MP Brian Donohoe said: “It seems major organised criminals and terror suspects qualify for unlimited Legal Aid, yet I have constituents who don’t get a penny simply because they have a few thousand pounds of savings.

“The system in Scotland and the rest of the UK is out of control.”

Legal blogger Peter Cherbi added: “Legal Aid is no longer about access to justice for the poor, but a state subsidy for the legal profession – and one they don’t seem keen on talking about.”

The Sunday Mail has exposed a series of rogue lawyers banned from claiming Legal Aid. But none of the 14 reported to prosecutors was put in the dock, prompting claims that Scotland’s legal self-regulation system protects lawyers.

Kilmarnock solicitor Niels Lockhart, who took £600,000 in Legal Aid in just two years, was found to have made “unnecessary and excessive” claims. The Legal Aid board withdrew their complaint to the Law Society after he agreed to stop claiming.

Reacting to the Brussels report, the Scottish Legal Aid Board said: “Across Europe, there are substantial differences between judicial systems and very different approaches to the provision of legal aid and its cost.

“The Scottish system is highly regarded internationally for the efforts made to ensure access to justice.

“The Scottish Government’s budget allocation for the Legal Aid Fund has reduced significantly in 2011-12 and is planned to reduce further in future years.”

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill hopes to cut the Legal Aid bill by making criminals pay some of their costs. The planned move, outlined in a Holyrood Bill, could save taxpayers around £3.9million.

• The Euro study showed that Scotland disciplined a tiny number of lawyers compared to countries of similar size.

Just three were struck off and 13 reprimanded in Scotland in 2010.

Denmark, with a similar population, took action against 309 lawyers, with six struck off and 145 fined. And in Finland, also close in size, 99 rogue solicitors were sanctioned.

Critics blame the Law Society of Scotland’s dual role of representing lawyers while also acting as regulator.

• A large proportion of alleged criminals reported to prosecutors in Scotland are not being put in the dock.

Of 265,830 cases sent to the Crown Office, only 41.7 per cent were brought to court. In England and Wales, 90.6 per cent of all cases resulted in court action.

The difference is thought to be partly due to Scotland’s recent introduction of spot fines and fiscal fines for what the authorities insist are more minor offences.

Critics claim such fines lead to a secret justice system.

• The report reveals that Scotland’s sheriffs top the European pay league.

Researchers compared the wages of lower court judges across Europe.

Our sheriffs, with an average salary of 150,106 euros (£120,000), were number one, ahead of the Irish and Swiss.

Next were sheriffs’ counterparts in England and Wales, who were paid 120,998 euros (£95,000).

Not only were sheriffs the highest-paid, they also topped the table comparing their earnings to the national average. They earned 5.2 times the average Scot’s wage.

90 comments:

Anonymous said...

EU report reveals judges salaries & lawyers legal aid claims come before public's access to justice.

Our real enemies are not only the lawyers, but the MSP criminals who do nothing about it.

Scotland Europe's banana republic.

Anonymous said...

I bet the judges dont like reading the part about their own salaries.Off for a read of this report I never heard of until now!

Anonymous said...

Personally I think these old duffers in wigs are getting paid too much while the rest of us are having to eek out an existence.

You never hear on the tv about judges getting the sack or striking for pay do you .. no wonder since they are taking home more than most of us will ever have in a lifetime.

Anonymous said...

The grim figures show that Scots legal aid is working out at a cost of £31 a head, with little in the way of access to justice to show for it.
=================================
Well the EU is just highlighting what we already know. The legal establishment and MSP's are a criminal going who work in concert to derive the people of our small country.

We are paying a lot of MacKaskill's pipers for lousy tunes. Well Salmond what do you have to say?

Anonymous said...

Of course you are correct (as usual) about the legal aid rip off - its all going to lawyers and clogging up the courts for years with cases that go nowhere.

The judges are also to blame because they have been presiding over this mess for decades content to earn the mega salaries we now know they are getting and strangely dont want to talk about much.

Hats off to you Peter as always and a fine report in the Sunday Mail.Good to see the newspapers taking a hard line on these twits in the justice system!

Anonymous said...

13 lawyers reprimanded in Scotland while Denmark manages to do 309???

Yes I'd say this shows "We have a problem,Houston" !!

Anonymous said...

Reacting to the Brussels report, the Scottish Legal Aid Board said: “Across Europe, there are substantial differences between judicial systems and very different approaches to the provision of legal aid and its cost.

“The Scottish system is highly regarded internationally for the efforts made to ensure access to justice.
=================================
Sounds like Douglas Mill wrote this. Granny spinning again.

Anonymous said...

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill hopes to cut the Legal Aid bill by making criminals pay some of their costs.
================================
Stat with the lawyers MacAskill the biggest criminals in this country.

Anonymous said...

Lockhart dragging that 600K around with him is symptomatic of Scottish lawyers and legal aid,the whole legal aid thing in Scotland is little more than an exercise in publicly funded fraud and you have my eternal thanks for exposing it.

Anonymous said...

That EU report is a lot better than any of our own so-called independent institutions can muster.So in the face of the overwhelming evidence of failure of regulation what is now going to be done about lawyers regulating themselves????

Its about time for a full **** cleanout of these lower than rodent species!

Anonymous said...

Right on Peter its all about MONEY and not about giving anyone justice!

Anonymous said...

No mention of this report by the Law Society & SLAB on their websites..anyone would think they wanted to keep us all from finding out the truth

Anonymous said...

This is another example of how Scotland is the most corrupt small country in the World?

It is a haven for paedophiles with the right connections (Google Hollie Greig), then we have the Lockerbie travesty of Justice, The World's End Murders Trial Fiasco, the corrupt Scottish Parliament building (where nobody was found to be at fault), the McKee Fingerprint fraud, the Edinburgh Trams Project, the Chokar cover-up, the Dunblane Massacre cover-up and many many more.

The Law Society of Scotland have almost total power in Scotland?

They have total control over the Crown Office, the Scottish Legal Aid Board, Procurator Fiscals Offices & the Courts, not to mention their arms of control over the fate of their own member's regulatory history by dictating to the SSDT & the SLCC?

There is the increasing feeling also that these dark actors have the police senior positions under their control so that they effectively have a Private Police Force to continue their criminal behaviour with impunity?

The sooner we raid the Law Society of Scotland's computers and files and send the Office bearers there to jail the better...?

Talk about knowing that these crooks are subverting the course of Justice but choosing not to do anything about it for an easy life......Tell that to Jimmy Savile?

Anonymous said...

Well done Sunday Mail!

Anonymous said...

Fine report from the EU almost written with you in mind?

Anonymous said...

How about the judge you collared for cheating benefits does he get a mention among all these miserable stuck up beings who leech 200K a year out of the public kitty??

What a damned disgrace and to think Italy manages to keep its legal aid budget in line while Scots lawyers dictate how much they are getting by the hundreds of millions what a disgrace so much for MacAskill and his money saving ideas thats what comes when a lawyer is in charge of the justice system!

Anonymous said...

Has the World gone crazy or is it just Scotland?

Scotland, a country run by crooked lawyers for crooked lawyers?

They think all the other Scots people are plebs.....?

Anonymous said...

Out of that MASSIVE figure........

a) How much of it was defrauded directly from SLAB by crooked Scottish lawyers?

b) How much of it was wasted due to the deliberate intransigence of the Scottish Court System?

c) How much of this was defrauded through double and triple billing?

d) How much of this has been siphoned off by the Law Society?


Lord Gill (now Lord President) famously said that Scotland had a 'Victorian Justice System' which did not serve the People of Scotland.....?


Well here is a proposal.....If we have had to put up with a defunct Victorian Justice System for so long with no desire to evolve, change and improve by those in power.......why do we 'The Scottish People' pay all of the parties to the Victorian Justice System a Victorian wage?

i.e. If we are getting a shite service then lets pay those involved a shite salary instead of the incestuous raping of the Public Funds that has been going on for decades?

Anonymous said...

This is the HOTTEST story of the year and how many so-called journalists are reporting on it?

this is what happens when the Law Society of Scotland exert their dark influence into every facet of life in Scotland?

They have become too powerful and Scotland is being bled dry by these thieves and they deliberately do not prosecute the crooked lawyers involved in MULTI £MILLION THEFT?

Oh, I nearly forgot, remember the SSDT Chairman's 2010 Report.... www.ssdt.org.uk .....Theft by a Scottish crooked lawyer is now termed as, 'BORROWING WITHOUT CONSENT'?

Yes, there is now no longer any possibility of having a thieving Scottish lawyer having to abide by the law in Scotland?

This is massive Institutional theft of Public Money on an enormous and perpetual scale that is being encouraged by the Law Society of Scotland and the Crown Office, where the Police are powerless to stop because the Scottish Police are threatened and ordered not to prosecute certain crimes, especially involving Scottish crooked lawyers?

Anonymous said...

There is a simple remedy.......

VICTORIAN JUSTICE SYSTEM = VICTORIAN SALARY

Anonymous said...

The Law Society of Scotland Office Bearers, the Crown Office staff, the Sheriffs and Judges in Scotland should have their pay frozen forthwith and they should be made to reapply for their jobs to include a job specification of what they do and the value of what they do, together with proving that they are fit to carry out their responsibilities?

MacAskill should be sacked for complete incompetence and potentially investigated for wilfully defrauding Scotland's Public Funds for this rotten thieving has the added effect of reducing the number of Scotland's citizens from being able to access Justice (whatever that means in Scotland today)?

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU to the team at DOI for carrying out a badly needed civic function for the People of Scotland, for shining the light of truth upon all of these crooks and spivs who are running Scotland into the ground for their own selfish desires?

Anonymous said...

So does this mean that the Italians are always cracking jokes about how they used to be seen as dodgy characters who could not be trusted and where corruption was rife and now that Scotland has taken over the mantle from them?

Maybe the Italians see Salmond & MacAskill in a similarly funny way as the UK media always portrayed Italy's Berlusconi?

Maybe the well know comedy duo that was Laurel & Hardy?

Anonymous said...

You have a real good handle on these lawyers kid!

Anonymous said...

Could this Report form the basis of a criminal investigation into Law Society of Scotland Office Bearers, the SSDT, the SLCC & the Crown Office for defeating the ends of Justice by letting crooked Scottish lawyers off SCOT-FREE?

Anonymous said...

Is it reasonable to assume that with the collusion of the SLAB & the Law Society of Scotland that £100Million of the £161Million has been stolen from Public Coffers?

Bear in mind that this fraud is being perpetrated from year to year meaning that this criminal activity is likely to be in the £100's of Miillions?

Anonymous said...

Should the Law Society of Scotland be made to repay all of the monies misappropriated by their members over the past ten years from SLAB into a separate fund to be used for access to Justice?

Anonymous said...

Has MacAskill resigned in shame yet or been sacked?

Anonymous said...

Have to wonder why the once supposedly respected Scottish 'broadsheets' haven't touched this story with a bargepole.Is it because they are too in tune with what their readership don't want to read about or be made public so the rest of us can join in the debate?

Anyway good to see the Sunday Mail tackle it and get into the nitty gritty of it all.Fine job now we know how we compare against the EU and as expected its badly!

Anonymous said...

What is the point in embarrassing Kenny MacAskill about this damning report when the man has no conscience?

Anonymous said...

This report seems to confirm a NATIONAL SCANDAL where the Scottish crooked lawyers have been filling their boots by defrauding the Scottish Legal Aid Fund with the collusion of the SLAB all to the detriment of Scotland's People?

How many hospitals and schools could have been built with this money that has instead been pilfered by crooked Scottish lawyers and diverted into their 'spending' money?

Scotland is in the grip of Institutionalised criminality and the police seem powerless to prevent it?

Anonymous said...

If the Unionist promoting campaigners miss out on this own goal then there truly is nothing to stop Scotland becoming the ownership of the Law Society of Scotland?

Anonymous said...

Why not pay these spivs a Victorian wage for a Victorian Judicial System, after all have they not heard of performance pay?

Remember, the Crown Office Staff (Civil Servants) were recently paying themselves bonuses after they got caught out trying to take a cut of the money recovered from the proceeds of crime?

Maybe the Scottish Public could also demand that the crooked lawyers who stole legal aid money pay it all back with interest....£100M's?

Anonymous said...

So, now we know where all the crooked Scottish lawyers have been getting their Porsches & Mercedes form?

The Scottish Legal Aid Board Slush Fund?

With the approval and support of the Law Society of Scotland & the Crown Office?

Anonymous said...

The EU should now make it a condition that all these points about Scotland's corrupt justice system,the lack of access to justice,the legal aid frauds,and the judges on the fiddle be fully resolved before any EU membership of an independent Scotland can even be considered otherwise the Scottish legal virus will spread throughout the EU and contaminate everyone just as the bankers have done to countries like Greece,Spain,Portugal,Italy,Ireland and a lot more yet to fall.

Anonymous said...

Once again, no mention of this SCANDAL by MSP's at the comedy theatre that is the Scottish Parliament?

The Scottish Law Society has them all on a short leish?

Anonymous said...

The Lockerbie Farce is but one example of the utterly corrupt Judicial Service?

So, are the massively hiked up salaries confirmation of the possibility that these creeps are being paid to keep their mouth shut about what is going on and to tow the party line?

Anonymous said...

The Scottish Crooked Lawyer - SCOTLAND's SHAME?

Anonymous said...

That is it, get rid of the SSDT & SLCC and get the Law Society of Scotland to maintain an insurance policy, paid by themselves that properly represents the damage done to clients of crooked lawyers and that Regulation of lawyers must be handed to an independent authority like WHICH? that the people can have faith in?

The Law Society of Scotland have had their chance and they instead sharpened their knives to slit the veins of the clients of Scotland's crooked lawyers and to keep their members out of jail?

Never again?

Anonymous said...

The Scottish Legal Aid Fund should be cut in half and the Law Society of Scotland should be made to pay the legal fees of a lawyer (up to £10,000) for anyone qualifying for legal aid for any reason for the next ten years with the Fund only paying fees above the £10,000 figure?

Anonymous said...

Let's start a campaign for a moratorium on salaries within the legal system in Scotland, with the intention of ridding the system of the corrupt lawyers and lazy gravy lickers?

a) the Government should prescribe a maximum wage of £10 per hour for ALL Scottish lawyers (the Law Society of Scotland have had the power to clean up their members conduct but they have done the opposite; actively defeating the ends of justice to allow known criminals to avoid jail and to cause damage and pain to their member's clients. This measure is a necessary step to rid these greedy criminals from the 'profession'?

b) All Judges and Sheriffs should be put on a maximum salary of £50,000 per annum and should have to prove on a biannual basis that their conduct is above reproach. they should also receive no perquisites and immunity from prosecution?

c) The Crown Office Staff numbers should be cut in half and their workload doubled, with a maximum salary of £10 per hour?

d) All Court Staff should be paid a maximum of £10 per hour and should be sent on a customer relations course and should be able to quote from legislation if necessary for some of their bizarre decisions? They should also be sacked if found to be telling lies causing members of the public distress?

This will start to rebalance the iniquitous system that has been unlawfully engineered against the Scottish Public?

Anonymous said...

You have no idea how much effort the LSoS Brussels office made to keep this report out of the Scottish Press.

Anonymous said...

Just demonstrates again the system is like MP's who did not want their expenses details in the public domain.

How can a person in the role of Justice Minister have any credibility when these further revelations are in the press?

Anonymous said...

13 lawyers reprimanded in Scotland while Denmark manages to do 309???

Yes I'd say this shows "We have a problem, Houston" !!
==================================
Yes Indeed, our politicians, the Law Society' and its links including the CAB.

The fourteen legal aid lawyers where the Crown office argued there was not enough evidence to prosecute them.

A member of the public was prosecuted last year for a £4,000.00. No subsidy for him.

Anonymous said...

Interesting comment about the Law Society's Brussels office - there's a lot of scandal going on there too you know,time for a few headlines about the nocturnal activities of some of their staff..

Anonymous said...

How can MacAskill keep his job after this alarming report?

Anonymous said...

it seems that the salaries go up as the standards go down?

Anonymous said...

Europe's Banana Republic (Scotland) has split!

All of the crooked lawyers, sheriffs, judges and crown office on one side and the rest of Scotland on the other side?

Anonymous said...

“The Scottish system is highly regarded internationally for the efforts made to ensure access to justice'

This statement is a patent lie?

It is oft' trotted out when these crooks are exposed and it is never and CAN NEVER be substantiated because it is a lie perpetrated to keep the People of Scotland ignorant of the injustice going on behind their back in their name?

Disgraceful!

MacAskill go now for failing the People of Scotland?

And the Law Society of Scotlamd should be disbanded and the crooks within jailed?

Anonymous said...

This scandalous waste of Public Money can only happen in an environment of nepotism and corruption where there is no scrutiny allowed into their unlawful practices?

Anonymous said...

When was it that Scottish lawyers stopped providing a service and started instead lining their pockets?

Anonymous said...

Apparently this problem was first noticed when there was a gravy slick flowing into estuary's all around Scotland because the gravy stream has been overflowing and the spivs and crooks have not been able to lap it all up in time, such is the excess?

Anonymous said...

This is what happens when Scottish lawyers become too powerful.....they steal from the kitty while no one is looking....Just imagine what lies in store for Scotland's People when we vote for Independence and trust these crooked Scottish lawyers to negotiate a fair settlement with their English counter parts?

Are these crooked Scottish lawyers likely to act honestly and diligently for the Scottish People OR are they likely to continue to act in their own interest and give up the family silver for payment in quick cash and land deals with the English?

When crooked Scottish lawyers are allowed to act in a totally morally bereft way, due to political expediency by Alex Salmond because he thinks that they will work for his goals, then all you get is them acting unlawfully with impunity and abusing their position of power, all for a quick buck?

Anonymous said...

Who is responsible for this dramatic slide into slime and racketry?

Anonymous said...

Prince Charles makes £1m from poorly-planned deaths.

http://money.aol.co.uk/2012/10/04/prince-charles-makes-1m-from-poorly-planned-deaths/?icid=maing-grid7|ukt1|dl11|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D130442
==================================
Or if you make a will your lawyer might help himself.

Anonymous said...

Good report by the EU and really shows up Scots justice for the disaster it is.Also liked the comment about the EU making an independent Scotland clean up the justice system before joining.Hope the Council of Europe are taking note of these views.

Anonymous said...

Is this what Alex Salmond calls acting in the best interests of the People of Scotland?

What a shameful disgrace.

These dodgy lawyers are robbing Scotland blind?

Anonymous said...

This is up there with the Lockerbie Scandal and the McKie fix-up Case?

Scotland is in the grip of these criminal gangs, who have built up a fraudulent industry around conning the public and diddling the system?

They clamour for more & more money but what they give for the money gets less & less?

Utterly disgraceful!

Anonymous said...

SCOTLAND's SHAME - THE SCOTTISH JUSTICE SYSTEM & THE SCOTTISH PROSECUTORIAL SYSTEM?

HORRIBLE CROOKS?

Anonymous said...

This is some racket the Crown Office,SLAB & Law Society have going between them and all paid for by us.So where are you now Lorna Jack bragging about the £1.2 billion pound industry of law in Scotland?If its worth so much then why the hell are you leeching £160 million from us taxpayers??

Anonymous said...

This is a very good blog about what law/justice really does to people!Well done!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic reports both from you and the Sunday Mail all praise to those who write about the justice system and its shortcomings.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
You have no idea how much effort the LSoS Brussels office made to keep this report out of the Scottish Press.

3 October 2012 20:43
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can anyone explain how the f^#k the Law Society of Scotland can be allowed to have an Office in Brussels?

It cannot be to represent the EEC agreement, as this is held and carried out by MP's from Westminster and their Civil Servants, with Scotland on the outside (as we are regularly reminded)?

So trust the Slitherin at the Law Society of Scotland to sneak off to Brussels to try to hawk away Scotland's Heritage behind our backs?

Anonymous said...

This is what is called kicking the arse out of it......

UNREGULATED

UNDESIRABLES

UNCARING

OINKS

Anonymous said...

I think MacAskill will be doing one of his disappearing acts from the Public until all the Hoo Haa dies down?

Wish he could make it a permanent trick?

Anonymous said...

Surely there has been a mistake with the decimal point..........yes, it must be £1.61Million?

That's right, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

MacAskill high protector of criminals who plunder the public purse with impunity.

Perhaps they are "borrowing without consent".

Anonymous said...

Why don't we just buy each and every Scottish lawyer, Crown Office staffer, Judge & Sheriff a brand new Mercedes & Porsche every year in settlement for their agreement to stop stealing Public Money?

That way we could save a fortune for the Public coffers?

Anonymous said...

Is Scotland in danger of giving all other Banana Republics a bad name?

Anonymous said...

Is Scotland the only country in the world where the legal fraternity are allowed to be totally above the law?

Anonymous said...

Yes it is very interesting to see how the Europeans do against us re 'Justice'.

I read enough of the report to realise we are very far behind not only on legal aid and how complaints are dealt with and its patently obvious the powers that be in Scotland never wanted us to see this so thank you for giving people the opportunity to see what a joke we have become from the outside.

Where are you now Lord Gill and all those criticisms you made in 2009?

Anonymous said...

The grim figures show that Scots legal aid is working out at a cost of £31 a head, with little in the way of access to justice to show for it.
=============================
And they stop access to legal aid to sue a lawyer. Money for Nothing is what they are getting. Glad they could not bury this report.

Anonymous said...

To stop this corruption lawyers must act against their self interest. The politicians condone it.

They should all be in jail, if the public were doing this the courts would jail them.

Salmond is more of a Law Society lackey than the First Minister of Scotland.

Anonymous said...

Once again, no mention of this SCANDAL by MSP's at the comedy theatre that is the Scottish Parliament?

Oh yes as Bentjudges.com call it the lawyers gang hut.

Anonymous said...

How is it POSSIBLE for a Sheriff in Scotland to be paid £25,000 more than their counter parts in England?

And they were recently threatening to down tools because they were not being paid enough?

This is what happens when they are not scrutinised and regulated?

They pay themselves as much as possible?

Anonymous said...

I know how you feel because I am supposed to be on legal aid and filled out all the forms but my lawyer has been extorting cash from me for 3 months without me seeing any paperwork do you think I should contact legal aid about this?

Diary of Injustice said...

# Anonymous @ 6 October 2012 00:57

Explaining why the Law Society of Scotland have an office in Brussels is easy ... its all about control of any legislation which may threaten the 'greed is good & clients are there to be fleeced' business model of the legal profession.

You will find many undeclared contacts between EU meps and the Law Society ... just like here in Scotland where your own msp is more likely to want to remain friends with the big bucks of lawyers than some poor constituent who find themselves at the mercy of the likes of O'Donnell and all the other examples of fraudsters allowed to roam free by the Law Society of Scotland.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I know how you feel because I am supposed to be on legal aid and filled out all the forms but my lawyer has been extorting cash from me for 3 months without me seeing any paperwork do you think I should contact legal aid about this?

8 October 2012 19:11
>>>>>>>><><><><>><><>>>><><><><><>>><>><>

Report your lawyer to the police immediately and ask them for a crime number (not an incident number) and then send all of your papers to the DOI team who are the only vehicle left in Scotland to attempt to get justice?

Anonymous said...

""You will find many undeclared contacts between EU meps and the Law Society ... just like here in Scotland where your own msp is more likely to want to remain friends with the big bucks of lawyers than some poor constituent who find themselves at the mercy of the likes of O'Donnell and all the other examples of fraudsters allowed to roam free by the Law Society of Scotland.""

This kind of understanding you have of how the legal profession actually works makes you worth your weight in gold!

Anonymous said...

Is it not about time that the Police ignored the Crown Office's unlawful interference and instead went into the Law Society of Scotland's offices and took control of all there documents papers and files in order to arrest the criminal elements within the organisation?

Anonymous said...

This European Report has highlighted the criminals within Scotland who, like the Chairman of the SSDT IN HIS 2010 Report, who say that lawyers who commit the crime of theft are to be considered to have, 'Borrowed Without Consent'?

That is, Scottish lawyers are above the law?

Anonymous said...

Is Scotland the most corrupt small country in the World?

Anonymous said...

There is obviously something WAY WRONG with this money being stolen by crooked Scottish lawyers through double and triple billing etc?

I have a great idea how to half the cost of this in one foul swoop?

It's easy, just pay the dodgy lawyers half the amount they usually take?

What a great saving for the Scottish Government?

Then, once these Law Society of Scotland lawyers are squeezed, then create an alternative organisation to the Law Society of Scotland, except pay these new guys a higher rate if they can prove that they do not have a history of 'BORROWING WITHOUT CONSENT' i.e. stealing from Public Funds?

This will rid Scotland for once and for all of all of the crooked Scottish lawyers?

If the Law Society squeal about it to their MSP pals, then just go to all the qualified lawyers from Poland etc who can take the crooked Scottish lawyers jobs?

Anonymous said...

Anon: 2 Oct 20:54, Can you expand on what you are refering to when you state "the Chokar cover up " ?

Anonymous said...

Take it from me, when you have to deal with crooked lawyers and those who protect them, you are coming up against sheer evil.

These people will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing to belittle or destroy your life and they have had as everyone knows, a good go at me.
================================
Yes Peter l agree with you 100%.
Pure evil they are.

Anonymous said...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2217100/Russian-tycoons-35m-legal-bill.html

Russian tycoon's £35m legal bill following 'battle of the billionaires' court case with Abramovich.



Anonymous said...

Thieves police themselves, and this is the inevitable result. That lawyer was right when he told me "the Courts are not there to prosecute crooked lawyers."

There is much evidence on this blog to confirm the truth of his statement.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Anon: 2 Oct 20:54, Can you expand on what you are refering to when you state "the Chokar cover up " ?

11 October 2012 20:15
Qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq

Read the papers?

Anonymous said...

Judges awarding themselves huge salaries while the rest of us rot - this has got to stop how about a review into their pay and pensions and all their little jobs on the side no one gets to know about

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic blog you have here!

You must have cost these Scottish lawyers millions of $$$$ well done!

A great ad for keeping legal business out of Scotland!