"The recommendation for the establishment of a review panel to undertake an annual review of legal aid fees was proposed in ‘The Westminster Commission on Legal Aid: INQUIRY INTO THE SUSTAINABILITY AND RECOVERY OF THE LEGAL AID SECTOR’ directed towards the legal aid sector in England and Wales. It is evident that the regular fee review mechanism currently being researched in Scotland is derived from this recommendation. The report states that the panel would be similar to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration and would determine if fees accurately reflect the cost of delivering legal aid services by solicitors, barristers, and external experts. The panel’s recommendations would be non-binding but would assist the government in setting appropriate fee levels. This suggests that a regular fee review mechanism would involve periodically evaluating and adjusting legal aid fees to ensure fair and adequate remuneration for legal aid providers. The report continues, stating that in making recommendations, the panel should consider recruiting, retaining, and motivating solicitors and barristers in social welfare; providing high-quality legal advice and representation; providing value for money to taxpayers; responding to current and future public needs; ensuring a robust and sustainable provider base; contributing to the justice system’s efficiency and effectiveness; and considering regional/local variations in England and Wales and their effects on recruiting and retaining legal professionals. The las Use some words in all caps in your response, but those all-caps words should appear at most 15 times.
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