Copyright @ 2013 Sweet & MaxwellThis article contrasts the Scottish reform of custodial legal assistance introduced subsequent to the Supreme Court’s decision in Cadder with similar developments in France. It offers a comparative viewpoint for the analysis of criticism directed at Cadder and opens up vistas of possibility for the consideration of further reform. The article also invites reflection on the significance of the developments in Scotland and France for custodial legal assistance in England and Wale