Criminal legal aid will be bolstered by £24 million, as part of
Government work to tackle crisis in the justice system and keep
courts running.
The Lord Chancellor, , confirmed that solicitors
who work in police stations and Youth Courts will be backed with
additional funding, helping to address ongoing challenges in the
criminal justice system.
This includes a £18.5 million boost for legal aid work undertaken
in police stations. Access to justice is a cornerstone of our
justice system and is fundamental to getting criminal cases
through the courts and getting our justice system moving again.
There will also be an additional £5.1 million invested in Youth
Court legal aid work for the most serious offences, to reflect
the severity and complexity involved.
Alongside this, solicitors who work or commute to work in
areas with fewer than two legal aid providers, as well as the
Isle of Wight, will have their travel time reimbursed.
These measures will begin to stabilise the legal aid sector that
has been left in dire straits. They mark start of this
Government's work to support the sustainability of the justice
system both now and in future.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice said:
“Criminal legal aid solicitors play a crucial role in our
justice system, often carrying out incredibly complex work in
challenging circumstances.
“This Government is determined to improve the criminal legal
aid sector which was left neglected for years. This is the first
step to stabilising the sector and ensuring that those who take
on these cases are properly compensated for their work.”
The fee uplifts were proposed in January after the Criminal Legal
Aid Independent Review (CLAIR) found that existing police station
and youth court fee schemes no longer reflected the complexity of
the work carried out by today's legal profession.
Police station work often takes place at short notice during
anti-social hours and the previous fee system was complicated and
outdated. This funding will increase the lowest fees and start
the process of simplifying the different police station pay
schemes, making the system easier to navigate.
Youth Court work can deal with complicated trials involving
organised crime and sexual assault, so this pay boost will also
enable solicitor firms to better serve the children and teenagers
they represent.
Today's announcement comes alongside the publication of the
Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board's annual report, which makes
several recommendations for how the criminal legal aid system can
be improved, including fee increases.
The future of criminal legal aid fees is still being considered
as the Lord Chancellor takes decisions on how to use her Budget
to deliver her agenda.
Notes to editors
- Changes will come into force on 6 December.
- £5.1 million has been allocated to increase the pay for
solicitors taking on youth court legal aid work for the most
serious offences by £598.59 per case.
- Police station fees will increase for the lowest London and
non-London fees at a cost of £18.5m.
- £400k is being set aside to pay for travel time for providers
in areas with fewer than two providers and the Isle of Wight, and
providers willing to travel from surrounding schemes into those
areas.
