Criminal Legal Aid: proposals for solicitor fee scheme reform
Applies to England and Wales
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
To support the sustainability of the criminal legal aid solicitor sector, we consulted on proposals that covered work carried out by legal aid providers at police stations, in magistrates’ courts, in the Crown Court, and in prisons. This response sets out the changes we will make to the criminal legal aid solicitor fee schemes.
After considering the consultation responses, we have decided to:
- harmonise the fixed fee for all police station schemes at £320 (excluding VAT) and to harmonise the escape fee threshold at £650 (excluding VAT)
- uplift all magistrates’ courts fees by 10%, including Youth Court fees
- establish a fixed ratio of 65:75:100 between guilty plea, cracked trial, and trial basic fees under the Litigators’ Graduated Fee Scheme (LGFS)
- uplift the basic fees for the lowest paying offences under the LGFS
- uplift prison law fees by 24%
- uplift fees for appeals work by 10%.
This represents a significant investment of around £92 million per year once fully implemented and means that criminal legal aid solicitors will have received a 24% overall uplift in funding since the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review (CLAIR). In allocating this additional funding, we are making sure most solicitor fee schemes see an uplift, while providing more targeted support where it is most needed. Overall, this investment package will support a stronger and more sustainable legal aid sector, now and in the future.
The Government intends to lay Statutory Instruments to amend the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 to reflect the changes and fee increases. Our intention is that the first Statutory Instrument will come into force from 22 December 2025. This will cover the crime lower fee increases set out in our response, relating to work in police stations, magistrates’ courts, prisons and for some appeals work. A second Statutory Instrument will be laid as soon as the required changes to uplift fees can be delivered through Legal Aid Agency digital systems. This will cover the crime higher fee increases set out in our response, relating to the LGFS and remaining areas of appeals work.
Original consultation
Consultation description
The consultation sets out proposals and their associated next steps for changes to the criminal legal aid solicitor fee schemes. This covers work carried out by legal aid providers at police stations, in magistrates’ courts, in the Crown Court, and in prisons.
This consultation is aimed at anyone with an interest in criminal legal aid in England and Wales. This will include, but is not limited to:
- members of the criminal defence profession and their representative bodies
- police station staff
- defendants
- academics
- others involved in the criminal justice system
Documents
Updates to this page
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Added consultation response.
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Added Welsh translation 'Ymgynghoriad ar Gymorth Cyfreithiol Troseddol: Cynigion i Ddiwygio’r Cynllun Ffioedd ar gyfer Cyfreithwyr'
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First published.