SIGNIFICANT changes to the Isle of Man’s legal aid system are in the pipeline following a decision in Tynwald today to amend the current legislation.

The new regulations are designed to update the existing system and to resolve a number of controversial issues which have arisen over the years. It is estimated that at least £2 million will be saved each year with the new regulations.

The existing legal aid regulations were heavily criticised by a number of politicians this morning with the experienced MLC Eddie Lowey claiming the current system was “galloping away with public funds.”

He said that one advocate who was interviewed on radio over Christmas had suggested that more than £2 million was being wasted annually due to abuse of the legal aid system and said there was “no option” than to make major changes.

Other politicians spoke about the unfairness of the existing system and that some advocates were guilty of extending court cases, in particular divorces, because legal aid allowed this to happen.

Treasury Minister Eddie Teare, in proposing that a second select committee report into the matter be received, agreed with suggestions by other members that more use should be made of mediation in matters such as divorce, through a Legal Aid Appeals Tribunal.

He also felt there was a need to truncate matters in divorce cases to reduce the anxiety for the parties but in particular to assist children who were sometimes used wrongly in negotiating a divorce settlement and the emotional effect on them was an “unintended consequence” of prolonging a case unnecessarily.

"There are clear issues here," he said.

The recommendations of the select committee were received unanimously by Tynwald.