Following careful consideration of responses to consultation, we are now publishing an interim response to consultation and laying a statutory instrument that will increase most fee schemes by 15% in line with our consultation proposals from 30 September 2022.
In addition to increasing fees, we are extending the scope of payment for pre-charge engagement work to cover work done ahead of an agreement, or where an agreement is not reached, in appropriate cases, in line with the Attorney General’s Disclosure Guidelines. We also intend to abolish fixed fees where individuals elect to have their case heard at the Crown Court, and go on to plead guilty.
A full response to the consultation will be published in the autumn.
In December 2021 the department published Sir Christopher Bellamy QC’s independent review into criminal legal aid. This explored what is working well and what more could be done to improve criminal legal aid for providers and the public.
We want to:
This consultation now sets out our proposals to reform criminal legal aid and uplift fees in line with these overarching objectives. The consultation seeks views on the implementation of these proposals and their impact on the wider criminal justice system.
This consultation is open to anyone who wishes to make a contribution, but may be of most interest to:
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