The Legal Aid in Criminal and Care Proceedings (Costs) Regulations 1989

PART I FEES DETERMINED UNDER REGULATION 6

1.—(1) Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3, the appropriate authority shall allow fees for work allowed by it under regulation 6 at the following basic rates:

(a) Magistrates' court criminal proceedings

Class of work	Rate
Preparation	£36.50 per hour—(£38.75 per hour for a fee-earner whose office is situated within legal aid area 1, 13 or 14)
Advocacy	£46.00 per hour
Attendance at court where counsel assigned	£24.50 per hour
Travelling and waiting	£20.50 per hour
Routine letters written and routine telephone calls	£2.85 per item—(£2.95 per item for a fee-earner whose office is situated within legal aid area 1, 13 or 14)

(b) Magistrates' court care proceedings

Class of work	Rate
Preparation	£44.00 (£47.00 per hour for a fee-earner whose office is situated within legal aid area 1, 13 or 14)
Advocacy	£53.00 per hour
Attendance at court where counsel assigned	£28.00 per hour
Travelling and waiting	£24.50 per hour
Routine letters written and routine telephone calls	£3.15 per item

(c) Crown Court criminal and Court of Appeal proceedings

Class of work	Grade of fee-earner	Rate
Preparation	Senior solicitor	£42.50 per hour—(£45.00 per hour for a fee-earner whose office is situated within legal aid area 1, 13 or 14)
	Solicitor, legal executive or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£36.50 per hour—(£38.75 per hour for a fee-earner whose office is situated within legal aid area 1, 13 or 14)
	Articled clerk or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£24.00 per hour— (£28.00 per hour for a fee-earner whose office is situated within legal aid area 1, 13 or 14)
Advocacy	Senior solicitor	£53.00 per hour
	Solicitor	£46.00 per hour
Attendance at court where counsel assigned	Senior Solicitor	£35.00 per hour
	Solicitor, legal executive or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£27.50 per hour
	Articled clerk or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£17.00 per hour
Travelling and waiting	Senior solicitor	£20.50 per hour
	Solicitor, legal executive or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£20.50 per hour—
Articled clerk or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£10.25 per hour
Routine letters written and routine telephone calls		£2.85 per item—(£2.95 per item for a fee-earner whose office is situated within legal aid area 1, 13 or 14)

(2) In paragraph (1), “legal aid area” means an area specified by the Board under regulation 4(1) of the Civil Legal Aid (General) Regulations 1989(1) and legal aid area 1, 13 or 14 means the area so numbered by the Board.

2.  In respect of any item of work, the appropriate authority may allow fees at less than the relevant basic rate specified in paragraph 1 where it appears to the appropriate authority reasonable to do so having regard to the competence and dispatch with which the work was done.

3.  In respect of any item of work, the appropriate authority may allow fees at more than the relevant basic rate specified in paragraph 1 where it appears to the appropriate authority that, taking into account all the relevant circumstances of the case, the amount of fees payable at such specified rate would not reasonably reflect–

(a) the exceptional competence and dispatch with which the work was done, or

(b) the exceptional circumstances of the case.

(1)

S.I. 1989/339.