Regulations made by the Lord Chancellor, laid before Parliament under section 41(9) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), for approval by resolution of each House of Parliament within 120 days beginning with the day on which the Regulations were made, subject to extension for periods of dissolution, prorogation or adjournment for more than four days.
2016 No. 781
Legal Aid And Advice, England And Wales
The Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) (Amendment) Regulations 2016
Made 20th July 2016
Laid before Parliament 21st July 2016
Coming into force 22nd July 2016

The Lord Chancellor makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 11(1)(b), 41(1)(a) and (b) and (3)(c) of, and paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 3 to, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (“the Act”).
2012 c. 10. Section 42(1) provides that in Part 1 of that Act, “regulations” means regulations made by the Lord Chancellor.
In making these Regulations, in accordance with section 11(2) to (5) of the Act, the Lord Chancellor—
(a) has considered the circumstances in which it is appropriate to make civil legal services available under Part 1 of the Act and, in particular, the extent to which the criteria ought to reflect the factors in section 11(3) of the Act;
(b) has sought to secure that, in cases in which more than one form of civil legal service could be provided for an individual, the individual qualifies under Part 1 of the Act for the form of service which in all the circumstances is the most appropriate having regard to the criteria, and
(c) is satisfied that the criteria reflect the principle that, in many disputes, mediation and other forms of dispute resolution are more appropriate than legal proceedings.
In accordance with section 41(8) of the Act, the Lord Chancellor considers that it is desirable for these Regulations to come into force without delay for the reasons given in the statement laid before Parliament on 21st July 2016, which accompanies these Regulations.