Legal Aid Act 1977

If a decision in relation to the provision of legal assistance or in relation to the making of any payment in respect of costs, including a decision reconsidering or reviewing a previous decision, is made by the commission or an officer of the commission under this Act, the commission shall, with 14 days after the decision is made, communicate the decision to the person who applied for the legal assistance or for the payment, as the case may be, and, if the decision is a decision refusing to provide, or imposing a condition on the provision of, legal assistance under this Act, the commission, if requested to do so, shall cause to be furnished to the person a short statement of the reasons for the decision.

The communication to a person of a decision referred to in subsection (1), other than a decision in relation only to the provision of legal advice or duty lawyer services, shall be effected—

if the matter to which the decision relates was dealt with on behalf of the person by a private legal practitioner—by giving to the private legal practitioner, or by sending to the private legal practitioner by post to the address of the private legal practitioner last known to the commission, a document setting out the terms of the decision and particulars of the right of the person to have the decision reconsidered and reviewed in accordance with section 36; and

in any other case—by giving such a document to the person or by sending such a document to the person—

by post to the address of the person last known to the commission; or

in any other way authorised by the person.

Part 5A Dispute resolution