Action over Robertson and Ross lawyers legal aid scam
A Paisley-based law firm which repaid almost £222,000 in misclaimed legal aid has been banned from providing any further taxpayer-funded assistance.
The Scottish Legal Aid Board removed Robertson and Ross Limited, and one of its directors, Fraser Currie, from an approved list of practitioners.
It took similar action in 2010 against the firm's director Iain Robertson and former associate Alistair Gibb.
They were found to have overcharged the board for travel to various prisons.
The Scottish Legal Aid Board said the removal of the firm and Mr Currie followed investigations which "revealed significant failures to comply with" its code of conduct "which included the submission of accounts that overcharged travel to prisons".
The board monitors and investigates legal aid expenditure involving both legal aid applicants and the legal profession.
While it can stop solicitors undertaking criminal legal aid work, only the Law Society of Scotland has responsibility for stopping solicitors from providing civil legal aid services.