Thom appointed to LAA adjudication panel

Following a recommendation by the Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Agency ("LAA") to the Minister for Legal Aid, Shailesh Vara MP, Thom has been appointed as an Independent Funding Adjudicator and Costs Assessor ("IFCA").

As an IFCA, Thom will decide on appeals brought against the refusal of legal aid funding and assessment of costs. The appointment runs from 01 July 2016 for a period of two years. The National Appeals Review Panel was created by the LAA in 2013, with the aim of improving the consistency of decision making. 

Thom regularly advises both professional and lay clients on the funding and costs issues which can arise in private and publicly funded cases.  He has experience of challenging decisions on appeal, either by way of judicial review, or to the Senior Courts Costs Office ("SCCO").