Open AccessProfessional Competence Peer Review and Quality Assurance in England and Wales and in Scotland
Author(s) -
Avrom Sherr,
Alistair Paterson
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
alberta law review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1925-8356
pISSN - 0002-4821
DOI - 10.29173/alr341
Subject(s) - competence (human resources) , quality assurance , peer review , new england , work (physics) , context (archaeology) , consistency (knowledge bases) , political science , public relations , law , psychology , medicine , geography , computer science , engineering , social psychology , mechanical engineering , external quality assessment , archaeology , pathology , artificial intelligence , politics
Peer review has emerged as a method of assessing the work of legal aid lawyers in the United Kingdom. The authors show how testing different methods led to review of files emerging as the most effective means of peer review. A number of approaches, including double marking of files, are used to ensure accuracy and consistency among the reviewers. Peer review in Scotland may be more relevant than England and Wales to the Canadian context as the legal professions are of similar size. The authors discuss both criminal and civil work and the application of peer review as well as the outcomes of the pilot projects in the U.K.