https://www.clao.org.uk/about-clao/consultations/
https://www.clao.org.uk/about-clao/consultations/
They are a formal process through which bodies (such as Scottish Government, Scottish Parliamentary committees, Scottish Law Commission) seek views from the public and stakeholders on proposed changes to the law.
CLAO contributes to legislative consultations where we have direct and practical experience of the relevant area of law.
Every day, our solicitors work closely with the people most affected by legal processes – our clients and those contacting us for help – and with the professionals and systems responsible for delivering them. This gives us a unique understanding of how the law operates in practice.
Our participation in consultations is therefore an important part of our role as a public‑facing legal service. It allows us to:
Scottish Government’s consultation on making the Temporary Accommodation Standards Framework legally enforceable closed on 28 January 2026. The proposals would require local authorities to ensure all temporary accommodation for homeless households meets defined standards across physical quality, location, services and management.
Homelessness law has been a core part of our work across our Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Highland & Islands offices since 2008, and since 2021 our Edinburgh team has provided urgent legal assistance through a dedicated Homelessness Helpline. Our solicitors’ extensive frontline experience gives us valuable insight into how the current system operates and where strengthened standards could improve outcomes for people facing homelessness.
The Scottish Law Commission’s consultation on reforming civil remedies for domestic abuse closed in March 2025. This was the second phase of their ‘Aspects of family law project’, and the review aims to strengthen protections for victims by modernising the civil solutions available.
Advising victims/survivors on protective orders is a key area of practice for our Highland & Islands office who bring specialist expertise; however, the nature of domestic abuse is such that it frequently features across all our casework. Our solicitors are therefore regularly advising victims/survivors within the context the housing, public family law, mental health and Adults with incapacity (AWI) work that we do.
Since 2023, we have operated a national referral service supporting Scottish Women’s Aid clients to access legal advice, further building our understanding of legal need in this area.
The Commission is now preparing a report with recommendations for Scottish Government and instructing a draft Bill to implement the proposed reforms.
Scottish Government’s Children’s Hearing Redesign Consultation closed on 28 October 2024 with 105 responses. The consultation builds on the Hearings for Children report and the national commitment to Keep the Promise, forming part of wider work to strengthen the Children’s Hearing System so it better protects, supports and involves children and families.
Our teams in the Highland & Islands, Argyll & Bute, and Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire have significant experience representing individuals at children’s hearings and in related court proceedings, giving us strong insight into how the system operates across much of Scotland and where improvements could benefit those it is designed to support.
The consultation has informed the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill, which passed Stage 3 (final changes and vote) on 19 March 2026.
Read our response here (or view the online entry through the government’s consultation portal here).