Introduction
1.These Explanatory Notes relate to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which received Royal Assent on 1 May 2012. They have been prepared by the Ministry of Justice in order to assist the reader in their understanding of the Act. They do not form part of the Act and have not been endorsed by Parliament.
2.The Notes need to be read in conjunction with the Act. They are not, and are not meant to be, a comprehensive description of the Act. So where a section or part of a section does not seem to require any explanation or comment, none is given.
3.A table setting out the meaning of abbreviations used in the Notes is at Annex A.