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£500k Legal Aid Paid to Fraudsters, Politician Demands Reform

7/20/2026

42 10 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Legal aid paid over £500,000 to four fraudsters, prompting Jackie Baillie to call the funding a shocking waste and demand stricter eligibility checks.
Scottish Legal Aid Board reported payments of £184,689 to Hush, £215,948 to Cox, £38,462 to Sharoudi and £113,438 to Brown.
Lord Ericht and Lady Carmichael cut the sentences on appeal to seven years for Sharoudi and Hush, six for Brown and five for Cox.

History

Historical Context

Britain’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, which took effect in 2013, slashed aid and caused a 46 % fall in cases. In Scotland the Legal Aid Board spent £1.2 billion in 2015-16, with audits flagging 12 % of claims as possibly fraudulent. Jackie Baillie’s criticism of a £500,000 payout to fraudsters fuels renewed pressure on the Scottish Government to tighten checks and reconsider LASPO.

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Story summary

Legal aid paid over £500,000 to four fraudsters, prompting Jackie Baillie to call the funding a shocking waste and demand stricter eligibility checks.
Scottish Legal Aid Board reported payments of £184,689 to Hush, £215,948 to Cox, £38,462 to Sharoudi and £113,438 to Brown.
Lord Ericht and Lady Carmichael cut the sentences on appeal to seven years for Sharoudi and Hush, six for Brown and five for Cox.

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