Dear Ministry of Justice,

Are conflicts of interest referred to in a standard Contract for Services agreement between the Ministry and the legal aid provider? If so, in what year did such agreements begin to include any reference to conflicts of interest? Please supply me with a copy of a standard Contract for Services agreement.

The Practice Standards for Legal Aid Providers states at 9.1: "A lawyer must: Take steps to avoid an actual or potential conflict of interest and to identify any actual or potential conflict of interest at the earliest possible opportunity." Does this requirement apply to legal aid providers only or does the declaration of conflicts of interests apply to all lawyers engaged by the Ministry? Under what circumstances (if any) are lawyers engaged by the Ministry not required to declare an actual or potential conflict of interest?

Please supply me with a copy of Sir Thomas Thorp’s Contract for Services agreement and that of Sir Thomas Eichelbaum’s (each was hired to enquire into the Peter Ellis). Please also supply me with a copy of Professor Graham Davies’ Contract for Services agreement with which he was provided in 2000.

On what date was Sir Thomas Thorp asked to enquire into the Ellis case and on what date did he furnish his report to the Justice Ministry?

Yours faithfully,

Ross Francis