The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024
Introduction
The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024 (the “Regulations”) were laid before Parliament on 3 December 2024 and came into force on 23 December 2024. The Regulations amend the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 (the “Principal Regulations”).
Purpose of the Regulations
The purpose of the Regulations is to increase the rates of remuneration for criminal legal aid work. This is in response to concerns about the sustainability of the criminal legal aid market and the need to ensure that lawyers are able to provide high-quality legal representation to those who need it.
Key Provisions
The Regulations make a number of changes to the Principal Regulations, including:
- Increasing the hourly rate for legal advice and assistance from £73.15 to £87.00
- Increasing the hourly rate for representation in the magistrates’ court from £73.15 to £87.00
- Increasing the hourly rate for representation in the Crown Court from £82.50 to £98.00
- Increasing the travel allowance for journeys over 20 miles from 45p per mile to 55p per mile
The Regulations also make a number of changes to the way that legal aid is assessed, including:
- Removing the requirement for a means test for legal advice and assistance
- Increasing the income threshold for legal aid eligibility in the magistrates’ court from £12,125 to £14,500
- Increasing the income threshold for legal aid eligibility in the Crown Court from £22,325 to £26,500
Impact of the Regulations
The Regulations are expected to have a significant impact on the criminal legal aid market. The increased rates of remuneration will make it more financially viable for lawyers to provide criminal legal aid services. This is likely to lead to an increase in the number of lawyers who are willing to take on criminal legal aid cases and an improvement in the quality of legal representation available to those who need it.
The changes to the way that legal aid is assessed are also likely to have a significant impact. The removal of the means test for legal advice and assistance will make it easier for people to access legal advice and assistance, even if they do not meet the financial eligibility criteria for legal aid. The increase in the income thresholds for legal aid eligibility will also make it easier for people to qualify for legal aid in the magistrates’ court and the Crown Court.
Conclusion
The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024 are a significant step towards improving the sustainability of the criminal legal aid market and ensuring that people have access to high-quality legal representation. The increased rates of remuneration and the changes to the way that legal aid is assessed will make it easier for people to access legal advice and assistance and will help to ensure that those who need it can get the legal representation they deserve.
The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024
The AI has provided us with the news.
I’ve asked Google Gemini the following question, and here’s its response.
UK New Legislation a new article on 2024-12-03 15:45 titled “The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024”. Please write a detailed article on this news item, including any relevant information. Answers should be in English.
111