The Judicial Committee (Devolution Issues) Rules (Amendment) Order 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order introduces a revised scale of fees in respect of appeals and other proceedings before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in devolution cases. The fees were originally set in 1999 so as to be broadly in line with the fees charged for other proceedings in the Judicial Committee, and are now being increased so as to keep them in line. The majority of fees are increased by amounts ranging from 50 per cent to 66 per cent. There is a new fee for issuing a certificate where there has been no taxation of costs. However, one fee is abolished and no change is made to the fees for originals and copies of Orders, or to the taxing fee. The Order also gives the Registrar power to remit a fee on grounds of hardship.

The Order also makes some minor procedural changes: it enables a petition for special leave to appeal to be granted as well as refused at the initial stage on the papers; and it increases by two the number of copies of certain documents that need to be lodged in connection with appeals.