Colin Lancaster took up
post as Policy Advisor to the Scottish Legal Aid Board shortly after the Edinburgh
conference in 1997. Since then he has been closely involved in the introduction of a Code
of Practice and registration for solicitors carrying out criminal work, the implementation
of the pilot Public Defence Solicitors Office (including liaison with the
independent research team) and the transition to fixed payments for criminal work. In
coming months, he will be taking forward the Boards work on the measurement of
quality through peer review and outcome measures, needs assessment and community legal
services, including the direct employment of solicitors by the Board to provide support to
advice agencies and their clients.
A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, he has a first degree in law and an M.Sc. in
Policy Studies. He is currently attempting to complete his doctoral thesis on the
development of law centres in the UK.