The Legal Services Agency has developed and adopted Criteria for Approval as a Listed Provider, pursuant to section 71 (1) of the Legal Services Act 2000, and gives notice of new and amended listing criteria for determining when a person may be approved to provide specified legal aid services.
The criteria for approval will apply to the providers listed for the legal aid schemes currently administered by the agency.
These schemes are:
- Legal Aid Scheme
- Duty Solicitor Scheme
- Police Detention Legal Assistance Scheme
Criteria for approval of listed providers under the legal aid scheme have been established and will be categorised as:
- Criminal - Categories One, Two, Three, Four
- Civil - General
- Family
- Refugee
- Waitangi Tribunal and Maori Land and Appellate Courts
- Mental Health
The principal changes to existing criteria and process are:
- Removal of a separate approval category for the Court of Appeal.
- Creation of new approval categories for Refugee, and Waitangi Tribunal, Maori Land and Appellate Courts.
- Establishment of local consultative groups, which will formulate recommendations for listing.
- The introduction of a conditional listing category to allow applicants to participate in legal aid work while gaining qualifying experience.
The new criteria will be effective from 17 February 2003.
The agency's provider manual will be amended to reflect
the alterations.
The Criteria for Approval as a Listed Provider will be available to all listed providers from the agency or from the agency's web site
www.lsa.govt.nz
from 1 February 2003.
For further information please contact: Provider, Legal Services Agency, P.O. Box 5333, Wellington, or
provider@lsa.govt.nz
or telephone: (04) 495 5910.