I personally think this is the way it should be.... when you need legal aid or advice, you usually need it immediately and can't wait for your entitlement to be determined by the courts.
The following quote in the article sums it up quite succinctly, imo.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by BBC
A spokeswoman for the Department for Constitutional Affairs said if legal aid was applied for it was granted automatically so there was no delay in the legal process.
"It is more or less a matter of course in a criminal case like this. This case is no different," she said.
"When he was arrested how was the court to know he's a millionaire or not? They investigate after the charges have been made. They send a legal aid certificate so there is no delay in the legal process."
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