The Tynwald Commissioner for Administration has found maladministration and service failure in how the Legal Aid Committee handled a civil legal aid case, saying funding should not have been granted.
The complaint stemmed from legal aid awarded in August 2023 to a young person seeking damages for personal injuries.
The complainant, who was later added as a defendant, argued no proper merits assessment had been undertaken before funding was granted against them.
In a report Acting Commissioner Felicity Kniveton said the Legal Aid Certifying Officer “relied on what the advocate acting for LAP stated in the application” and failed to request further information or evaluate police reports and witness statements available at the time.
“There was a complete lack of any initial evaluation recorded by the LASO regarding the prospects of success,” she added.
The Commissioner found the Legal Aid Committee’s own complaints process was also breached, with a response described as “dismissive” and “arbitrary”.
“Legal Aid should not have been granted on the basis of the LASO’s action, or inaction,” the report concluded.