Legal services chief out following review

The fallout from a damning review of legal aid has continued, with the chief executive of the Legal Services Agency (LSA), Tim Bannatyne, losing his job.

The report by Dame Margaret Bazley led to the resignation of four members of the agency's board, and the new chairman, Sir John Hansen, announced the position of chief executive had been "disestablished" and that Mr Bannatyne would be replaced by a Justice Ministry transition manager.

The Government decided swiftly after the report that the agency would be wound back into the ministry.

Mr Bannatyne's last day at work would be December 18, but Sir John said the new board's decision did not reflect his calibre or contribution to running the agency for the past nine years.

Stuart White, who is the ministry's general manager of special jurisdictions, will now take over managing the changes at the agency.

Dame Margaret's report said some lawyers and defendants were "abusing the system to the detriment of clients, the legal aid system, the courts and the taxpayer".

She believed there was evidence that many lawyers had acted corruptly. Administrative costs were out of control. The LSA seemed paralysed and unable to deal with the legal sector.

- NZPA