Legal aid criminal defence lawyers: Changes to payment system

21 June 2013

The Legal Services Commissioner, Nigel Fyfe, has today brought in new guidelines on how legal aid is paid to criminal defence lawyers for certain cases.
  
The guidelines replace the Secretary of Justice’s Criminal Fixed Fees and Complex Cases Policy and Procedures and will apply from Monday 24 June.

Mr Fyfe said the guidelines were an interim solution.

“The new guidelines clarify when and for what reasons legal aid payments to criminal defence lawyers can be amended.

“Under the guidelines, the Commissioner may decide to vary the amount of legal aid criminal defence lawyers are paid where cases they are involved in require significant additional work.

“The Fixed Fees policy will not otherwise be altered as part of the interim changes.
 
“I will write to legal aid lawyers today informing them of the changes in detail and will monitor their impacts over coming months,” Mr Fyfe said.