The Criminal Legal Aid (General and Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

• Citation: S.I. 2025/1251
• Sections: 19

Section 1 Citation and extent

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Criminal Legal Aid (General and Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.

Section 2 Commencement

(1) These Regulations come into force on 22nd December 2025, subject to the following paragraph.

(2) Regulation 3 comes into force on 31st December 2025.

Section 3 Amendment to the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013

In regulation 9 (criminal proceedings) of the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013 —

(a) at the end of paragraph (ug) omit “and” ;

(b) after paragraph (ug) insert—

(uh) proceedings in the High Court concerning a release decision of the Parole Board, which have been referred under section 32ZAA of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 or section 256AZBA of the Criminal Justice Act 2003; and

Section 4 Amendments to the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013

(1) The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 17A (interim payment of litigators’ fees), omit paragraph (3).

(3) Schedule 3 (proceedings in the Court of Appeal) is amended as set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

(4) Schedule 4 (rates payable for the claims specified in regulation 8) is amended as set out in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

Section 5 Application and transitional provision

(1) These Regulations apply to services provided following a relevant determination.

(2) In this regulation, “ relevant determination ” means a determination made on an application for services under section 13 (advice and assistance for individuals in custody), 15 (advice and assistance for criminal proceedings) or 16 (representation for criminal proceedings) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 on or after 22nd December 2025.

Section 1

In paragraph 7 (litigators’ fees for proceedings in the Court of Appeal), for the table following sub-paragraph (1) substitute—

Section 1

In paragraph 2 (work conducted at the police station: police station advice and assistance), for sub-paragraphs (4) to (8), including the table after sub-paragraph (8), substitute—

(4) The Fixed Fee for Police Station attendance is £320 for all Police Station Schemes.

(5) The Escape Fee Threshold for Police Station attendance is £650 for all Police Station Schemes.

(6) Where attendance is at a place where an interviewing Constable is present, and that place is not a police station listed as being within a Police Station Scheme, the attendance will be taken as being at—

(a) the Police Station Scheme within which the interviewing Constable is normally based, or

(b) the Police Station Scheme nearest to the place of attendance, where the interviewing Constable is not normally based within a Police Station Scheme.

(7) Where attendance is at a place where a Services Person is assisting with an investigation by Services Police, the relevant Police Station Scheme is the Police Station Scheme within which the police station nearest to the place of attendance is listed for the purposes of sub-paragraph (8).

(8) In this paragraph, “ Police Station Scheme ” means a Police Station Scheme listed in the table set out in Annex A to version 19 (October 2025) of the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work.

Section 2

In paragraph 3 (work conducted outside the police station), after the table following sub-paragraph (4) insert—

(5) The Upper Limits prescribed in this paragraph may be extended upon application in accordance with the 2025 Standard Crime Contract.

Section 3

In paragraph 3A (advice and assistance for pre-charge engagement), after sub-paragraph (2) insert—

(3) The Upper Limit prescribed in this paragraph may be extended upon application in accordance with the 2025 Standard Crime Contract.

Section 4

In paragraph 4 (advice and assistance and advocacy assistance by a court duty solicitor and advocacy assistance at the virtual court)—

(a) for the table following sub-paragraph (1) (advice and assistance and advocacy assistance by a court duty solicitor) substitute—

Advice and Assistance and Advocacy Assistance by a court Duty Solicitor

(b) for the table following sub-paragraph (2) (advocacy assistance at the virtual court) substitute—

Advocacy Assistance at the Virtual Court

Section 5

In paragraph 5 (representation in a magistrates’ court)—

(a) for the table following sub-paragraph (1) substitute—

Representation in a magistrates’ court

(b) for the table following sub-paragraph (2) (higher and lower standard fees table) substitute—

Higher and Lower Standard Fees table

(c) in sub-paragraph (6), for “£208.61” substitute “£229.47” .

Section 6

In paragraph 5B (representation in the youth court)—

(a) for the table following sub-paragraph (4) substitute—

Representation in the youth court

(b) for the table following sub-paragraph (5) (higher and lower standard fees table) substitute—

Higher and Lower Standard Fees table

(c) in sub-paragraph (8), for “£208.61” substitute “£229.47” .

Section 7

In paragraph 6 (own client work)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (2)(a), for “£55.14” substitute “£60.65” ;

(b) in sub-paragraph (2)(b), for “£52.15” substitute “£57.37” ;

(c) in sub-paragraph (3), for “£78.71” substitute “£86.58” ;

(d) in sub-paragraph (4), for “£26.23” substitute “£28.85” ;

(e) for the table after sub-paragraph (4) substitute—

Work undertaken prior to a determination that an individual is not eligible for criminal legal aid

Section 8

In paragraph 7 (representation in proceedings prescribed as criminal proceedings under section 14(h) of the Act), after sub-paragraph (3) insert—

(4) The Upper Limits prescribed in this paragraph may be extended upon application in accordance with the 2025 Standard Crime Contract.

Section 9

In paragraph 8 (advice and assistance on an appeal against conviction or sentence or an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission)—

(a) after “Upper Limit” insert “, which may be extended upon application in accordance with the 2025 Standard Crime Contract,” ;

(b) in sub-paragraph (a), for “£314.81” substitute “£346.29” ;

(c) in sub-paragraph (b), for “£524.69” substitute “£577.16” ;

(d) for the table substitute—

Advice and Assistance on an appeal against conviction or sentence or application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission

Section 10

In paragraph 10 (representation in the Crown Court on an appeal from a magistrates’ court in proceedings prescribed as criminal proceedings under section 14(h) of the Act),

(a) after “Upper Limit” insert “, which may be extended upon application in accordance with the 2025 Standard Crime Contract,” ;

(b) for “£1,574.06” substitute “£1,731.47” ;

(c) for the table substitute—

Section 11

In paragraph 11 (advice and assistance provided pursuant to a determination made under section 15 of the Act in prison law cases)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (1)—

(i) for “£200.75” substitute “£248.93” ;

(ii) for “£602.25” substitute “£746.79” ;

(b) for the table following sub-paragraph (2) (hourly rates for determining whether Escape Fee Threshold reached) substitute—

Hourly rates for determining whether Escape Fee Threshold reached

(c) for the two tables following sub-paragraph (3) (hourly rates in Disciplinary Cases and Sentence Cases for determining application of Standard Fees, and Higher and Lower Standard Fees table for Disciplinary Cases and Sentence Cases) substitute—

Hourly rates in Disciplinary Cases and Sentence Cases for determining application of Standard Fees

Higher and Lower Standard Fees table for Disciplinary Cases and Sentence Cases

(d) for the two tables following sub-paragraph (4) (hourly rates in Parole Board cases for determining application of standard fees and higher and lower standard fees table for Parole Board cases) substitute—

Hourly rates in Parole Board cases for determining application of Standard Fees

Higher and Lower Standard Fees table for Parole Board cases

Section 12

In paragraph 12 (payment for assigned counsel)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (1)—

(i) for “this paragraph” substitute “Sub-paragraph (2)” ;

(ii) omit sub-paragraph (1)(a);

(b) after the table following sub-paragraph (2), insert—

(3) The fees payable to Assigned Counsel for representation in a magistrates’ court or youth court are subject to the limits specified in the table following this paragraph.

Payment for Assigned Counsel for representation in a magistrates’ court or youth court

Section 13

After paragraph 12 insert—

Allowing fees at less than the prescribed rates

(13)

(1) This paragraph applies to representation by a litigator—

(a) in a magistrates’ court;

(b) in proceedings relating to an injunction under Part 1 of the 2014 Act or related parenting order in any court;

(c) in the youth court;

(d) in proceedings prescribed as criminal proceedings under section 14(h) of the Act in the High Court, the family court or a county court.

(2) In respect of any item of work, the appropriate officer may allow fees at less than the relevant prescribed rate where it appears to the appropriate officer reasonable to do so having regard to the competence and despatch with which the work was done.

(3) In this paragraph, “prescribed rate” has the meaning given in paragraph 14(8) of this Schedule.

Allowing fees at more than the prescribed rates

(14)

(1) This paragraph applies to representation by a litigator—

(a) in a magistrates’ court;

(b) in proceedings relating to an injunction under Part 1 of the 2014 Act or related parenting order in any court;

(c) in the youth court;

(d) in proceedings prescribed as criminal proceedings under section 14(h) of the Act in the High Court, the family court or a county court.

(2) Where this paragraph applies, the appropriate officer may allow fees at more than the prescribed rate, where it appears to the appropriate officer, taking into account all the relevant circumstances of the case, that—

(a) the work was done with exceptional competence, skill or expertise;

(b) the work was done with exceptional despatch; or

(c) the case involved exceptional complexity or other exceptional circumstances.

(3) Where the appropriate officer considers that any item or class of work should be allowed at more than the prescribed rate, the appropriate officer must apply to that item or class of work a percentage enhancement in accordance with the following provisions of this paragraph.

(4) In determining the percentage by which fees should be enhanced above the prescribed rate, the appropriate officer must have regard to—

(a) the degree of responsibility accepted by the fee earner;

(b) the care, speed and economy with which the case was prepared; and

(c) the novelty, weight and complexity of the case.

(5) The percentage above the relevant prescribed rate by which fees for work may be enhanced must not exceed 100%.

(6) The appropriate officer may have regard to the generality of proceedings to which these Regulations apply in determining what is exceptional within the meaning of this paragraph.

(7) Fees paid at more than the prescribed rate under this paragraph are subject to any Upper Limits which apply to the relevant Unit of Work.

(8) In this paragraph, “prescribed rate” means a prescribed hourly rate or unit fee for routine letters written and telephone calls per item.