“Goodwill towards the LSC among legal aid firms is probably at an all time low” The LSC is under pressure to deliver change too quickly, says Steve Hynes
Just before Christmas the Legal Services Commission (LSC) produced a consultation paper, Best Value Tendering for Criminal Defence Services. Responses are due by 3 March, with the possibility of a further consultation on the detailed proposals set for later in the year. Many fear that, despite the concerns of practitioners, the LSC will press ahead with best value tendering (BVT) for criminal defence services whatever the results of the consultation, and move to offer the first tenders by next year.
BVT was introduced in April 2000 by the government to replace compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) in local government. The LSC argues that to meet the aims of quality, efficiency among suppliers, and value for money, a BVT system should be introduced for criminal legal aid services. In contrast to local government though, where many local authorities offer tenders to firms and organisations, the criminal legal aid market has a single buyer, the LSC, and
