The defendant brought a motion to strike a statement of claim alleging breach of contract for unpaid legal aid certificate accounts.
The plaintiff, a lawyer, argued that the defendant breached contractual obligations by refusing to extend time to submit accounts and refusing payment for legal services provided under legal aid certificates.
The court held that the relationship between the legal aid authority and lawyers providing services under certificates is statutory rather than contractual, governed by the Legal Aid Services Act, 1998 and related regulations.
As such, the plaintiff could not advance a private law breach of contract claim.
The statement of claim disclosed no reasonable cause of action and the action was dismissed.
