Qatada claims over £500k in legal aid

The legal aid bill for terror suspect Abu Qatada stands 
at more than £500,000 and 
is still rising, the government has disclosed.

As of 5 December, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) had paid out £515,778 to Abu Qatada in legal aid. Final bills have not been received.

The figure was released to Labour MP Valerie Vaz in a written parliamentary answer by justice minister Jeremy Wright.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) last month upheld Qatada’s appeal against deportation to Jordan, ruling there was no definitive proof evidence that witnesses who had been tortured would not be included in a retrial in his homeland.