Guidance

Appeals: civil high cost cases

How to appeal a decision made by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) for legal aid funding in high cost civil cases.

Applies to England and Wales

How it works

Where an individual disagrees with the director’s determination that they do not qualify for legal representation or family help (higher), they can apply to an independent funding adjudicator (IFA) or the Special Controls Review Panel (SCRP) for reconsideration of that decision (except where the application is for exceptional cases funding).

Appeals must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the refusal decision.

Special Controls Review Panel

The SCRP is an independent review body made up of practising solicitors and barristers. It sits as a 3 member committee to consider appeals relating to certain high cost cases and other more complex cases.

Appeals and issues referred to the SCRP are considered, without a hearing.

This is unless the panel believes it’s in the interests of justice for the individual, or LAA, to make oral representations before them. If this happens, you are given a copy of the agenda note and appeal bundle to be placed before the SCRP in advance of the hearing, as well as an opportunity to make further representations.

Review panel arrangements (PDF, 252 KB, 17 pages) sets out the practical arrangements for the appeals process against certain LAA decisions.

Appeals manual

Appeals Manual (PDF, 424 KB, 37 pages) provides guidance for members of the review panel on procedure and decision making.

Appointments to the Review Panel

Review Panel Member appointments are listed in the document below:

Appointment of appeals panel members (PDF, 129 KB, 2 pages)

These are public appointments. Vacancies are advertised periodically. Informal enquiries may be sent to LAA.Review.Panel.Membership@justice.gov.uk

Crime high cost cases

Appeals: crime high cost cases

Contact

Exceptional and Complex Case Team: 0300 200 2020

contactECC@justice.gov.uk

Published 1 June 2014
Last updated 23 September 2022 + show all updates
  1. Appeal manual updated - September 2022.

  2. Guidance manual for new and existing Review Panel members now available, small revision to appointments list and new email address for membership enquiries.

  3. Updated 'review panel arrangements' file. This sets out the practical arrangements for the appeals process against certain LAA decisions.

  4. Updated file listing Legal Aid Agency Review Panel members

  5. Amended review panel arrangements uploaded.

  6. Appointment of appeals panel members

  7. Published a revised version of the Funding and Costs Appeals Review Panel Arrangements document.

  8. Review panel members published.

  9. Funding and costs appeals review - panel arrangements updated.

  10. First published.