Peer review

From WikiMentalHealth

The Legal Services Commission uses peer review to assess the quality of legal advice given to clients. A sample of files is taken from a firm, and reviewed by an independent peer reviewer. Peer reviewers are lawyers experienced in the relevant area of law.

The following are the five possible ratings:

1. Excellence
2. Competence Plus
3. Threshold Competence
4. Below Competence
5. Failure in performance

Guidance documents have been published for various areas of law. The guidance sets out the sort of work which is necessary in order to provide a good service. The mental health guidance was published in 2006, and updated in January 2007 at the behest of the Legal Aid minister (the amendments were to reduce the suggested amount of necessary work).

The LSC's position in relation to the guides and the possible ratings can be summarised as follows:

1. The guidance is not a directive for practitioners, but rather an aid to assist improvement from PR3 (threshold competence) to PR2 (competence);
2. Legal Aid funding is a limited budget, value for money is the essential objective, and a PR2 rating represents the best value for money;
3. Undertaking further work for clients to obtain a PR1 (excellence) rating is not encouraged.

See also Transaction criteria.

External links

LSC Peer review main page

Mental Health peer review guidance (local copy)

• Original version of guidance (local copy)

Peer review civil criteria - mark sheet

The LSC's position in relation to the guides