of chairman and possible eligibility amendments.

Former chairman of the Legal Aid Committee Puisne Judge Richard Ground recently left his post in Bermuda to assume the position of Chief Justice of Turks and Caicos.

His successor has not yet been named but Senior Legal Aid counsel Peter Miller said an announcement is expected shortly.

K. Ed Kelly, a long-time member of the committee, is currently serving as the acting chair of the Committee. Mr. Miller said legal aid is available to qualifying applicants for court proceedings in criminal and civil cases.

Eligibility is based on having a net disposable household income of less than $12,000. Allowances are given in addition to this base amount of $2,000 per child and an annual rental allowance of up to $9,600.

In the more serious criminal cases, the grant of legal aid is compulsory if the applicant meets the financial eligibility criteria.

According to the Legal Aid Committee's 1996 Annual Report, more than 41 percent of applications for legal aid were refused during 1996 as opposed to 36 percent in 1994-95 and 26 percent in 1993-94.

But the proposals for amendments to the Legal Aid Act made in a 1996 discussion paper -- reviewed by the Bermuda Bar Association in 1997 -- may be stalled at the Ministry of Health and Family Services.

Health and Family Services Minister Wayne Furbert said the suggestions were under review and would hopefully be brought before the House of Assembly in November.