Over the past few years Legal Aid has become a contentious issue with the public and lawyers alike. Government cuts have seen those who least can afford legal costs, in many cases, unable to obtain justice. In our opinion polygraph services implementing lie detector tests for legal aid claims would greatly improve the efficiency of the system. If utilised, this would lead to significant savings freeing up funds for those who most need them.
Prevention of fraud by solicitors
A recent case, one of many, perfectly highlights how polygraph services for legal aid could have prevented fraud.
The case of Blavo & Co Solicitors hit the headlines 3 years ago when the firm closed amid allegations of legal aid fraud. The case is still under investigation but so far John Blavo, its director and only shareholder has been ordered to pay back over £22 million in non-existent cases for which he claimed legal aid. In a total of 24,658 claims made only 1,485 of the cases ever went to court. The claims were made over a 4 year period between 2011 and 2015.
In high volume claims the benefit of periodic lie detector tests for legal aid claims would prevent this type of fraud. Records were sparse for the investigation team and it has realistically taken an inordinate amount of time to get the case to court.
The opulent and lavish lifestyle of John Blavo should have rung alarm bells much sooner.
£12.6 million legal aid scam
9 legal professionals including 3 judges were charged with making fraudulent claims last year. The legal aid claims referred to were made between 2011 and 2013.
The length of time cases take to finally be prosecuted would be significantly shortened with lie detector tests for legal aid fraud. The results of such tests often lead police to investigate aspects that they haven’t previously considered. Polygraph examinations that produce results where deceit is found regularly lead to confessions. If one person in a group confesses the police can often derive information about accomplices. The time and money saved is highly significant when considering the resources that have to be used in investigation of this type.
Reputable solicitors use lie detector tests for legal aid claims
The majority of solicitors in the UK are highly respected and reputable. In making claims on behalf of their clients they use their judgement as to whether to use lie detector tests for legal aid claims.
By utilising polygraph services they can save a lot of time when making a decision to take on a case or not. A solicitor can only work on information supplied by the client. If the client is lying about their financial situation and legal aid is ultimately turned down or withdrawn, it wastes everybody’s time.
If you would like further information regarding lie detector tests for legal aid claims please contact us. Our customer service team will always treat your matter with the utmost confidentiality.
