XN000022-1993-03-31 — Page 46

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1993

BASED

—

RATHER, THE CHOICE OF COUNSEL FOR A PARTICULAR CIVIL CASE WAS ON ABILITY HAVING REGARD IN PARTICULAR TO COUNSEL'S AREAS OF PRACTICE, AVAILABILITY AND THE LEVEL OF FEES CHARGED.

ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO AGREED SCALE OF FRES FOR CIVIL WORK, THE CROWN SOLICITOR HIMSELF APPROVED THE LEVEL OF FEES FOR EACH CIVIL MATTER THAT WAS BRIEFED OUT.

ALSO

IN ADDITION TO BARRISTERIAL WORK, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT BRIEFED OUT SOME SOLICITORS' WORK. THE CIVIL DIVISION HAD OVER THE LAST YEAR BEEN AIMING TO REDUCE ITS RELIANCE ON OUTSIDE LAW FIRMS AND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW MINOR CASES, NO NEW SOLICITORS' WORK IN CIVIL MATTERS ON BEHALF OF THE CROWN HAD BEEN BRIEFED OUT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

THE SOLICITORS' WORK IN RESPECT OF PROSECUTION CASES WAS RARELY BRIEFED OUT.

GIVEN THE SMALL NUMBER OF CASES IN WHICH SOLICITORS' WORK WAS BRIEFED OUT AND THE FACT THAT THE WORK WAS SOMETIMES VERY SPECIALISED, ONLY A FEW FIRMS OF SOLICITORS WERE ABLE TO UNDERTAKE THIS WORK FOR THE CROWN.

WORK AND

A FIRM WOULD ONLY BE APPROACHED IN RESPECT OF SOLICITORS' IF ITS COMPETENCE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE RELEVANT AREA OF PRACTICE ITS LEVEL OF FEES CHARGED COULD WITHSTAND CRITICAL SCRUTINY BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS OR THE CROWN SOLICITOR.

MR MATHEWS SAID IT HAD BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE SOME SAVINGS IN RESPECT OF THE BRIEFING OUT OF SOLICITORS' WORK IF A SYSTEM COULD BE INTRODUCED WHEREBY FIRMS WERE INVITED TO BID FOR THIS WORK ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS.

"I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS SUGGESTION AND WILL EXAMINE IT CAREFULLY," HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE

WIDER USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAD ALREADY MADE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS IN THIS RESPECT.

"ALL ORDINANCES AND SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION ARE NOW STORED AND UPDATED ON OUR IN-HOUSE DATABASE, AND CAN BE RETRIEVED OR SEARCHED

IN A MATTER OF SECONDS.

"THERE ARE ALSO OTHER DATABASES WITHIN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT RELATING TO THE WORK OF INDIVIDUAL DIVISIONS," HE SAID,

AND

HE SAID A COMPREHENSIVE AND COHERENT PLAN FOR OFFICE AUTOMATION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY ENHANCE THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY.

STUDY

WITH THIS IN MIND A COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION SYSTEMS STRATEGIC WAS UNDERWAY IN THE DEPARTMENT AND RESULTS OF THAT EXPECTED LATER THIS YEAR.

STUDY

WERE

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