The Legal Aid and Advice and Assistance (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2021

JurisdictionScotland
CitationSSI 2021/56
S C O T T I S H S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S
2021 No. 56
LEGAL AID AND ADVICE
The Legal Aid and Advice and Assistance (Miscellaneous
Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2021
Made - - - - 28th January 2021
Laid before the Scottish Parliament 1st February 2021
Coming into force - - 22nd March 2021
The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by
sections 33(2), (3)(a), (b), (c) and (f), and (3A), and 36(1), (2)(a), (d) and (e) of the Legal Aid
(Scotland) Act 1986(a) and all other powers enabling them to do so.
Citation and Commencement
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Legal Aid and Advice and Assistance (Miscellaneous
Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 and come into force on 22 March 2021.
Application
2.—(1) These Regulations apply only in relation to fees for w ork done or outlays incurred on or
after 22 March 2021, except in relation to—
(a) regulation 4(4) and (9),
(b) regulation 6(4) and (6), and
(c) regulation 7.
(2) Regulation 4(4) applies only in relation to work carried out for the purposes of commencing
appeal proceedings in terms of section 107 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995(b) on
or after 22 March 2021.
(3) Regulation 4(9) applies only in relation to trials commenced on or after 22 March 2021.
(4) Regulations 6(4) and (6), and 7 apply only in relation to a case where the criminal legal
assistance concerned is granted or made available on or after 22 March 2021.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1), where work for a fee prescribed in schedules 1 to 11 is
conducted over more than one date, the work is deemed to have been done on the day on which
the work comes to an end.
(a) 1986 c.47. Section 33(2) of the 1986 Act was amended by section 67(7)(b) of the Legal Profession and Legal Aid
(Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 5). The functions of the Secretary of State were transferred to the Scottish Ministers by virtue of
section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998 (c.46).
(b) 1995 c.46. Section 107 was amended by pa ragraph 21(15) of schedule 1 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997
c.48, section 62 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 (asp 7), paragraph 16 of schedule 1 of the Criminal Proceedings
etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 6) and paragraph 8 of schedule 1 of the Double Jeopardy (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp
16).
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Amendments to the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) (Fees) Regulations 1989
3.—(1) The Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) (Fees) Regulations 1989(a) are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 5 (fees allowable to solicitors) in paragraph (2A) for “£21.63”(b) substitute
“£22.72”.
(3) In Part 1 of Chapter 3 of schedule 2 (undefended actions), for the first table of fees substitute
the table of fees in schedule 1 of these Regulations.
(4) In Part 2 of Chapter 3 of schedule 2 (defended actions), for the first table of fees substitute
the table of fees in schedule 2 of these Regulations.
(5) In Chapter 4 of schedule 2 (executry business), for each of the tables of fees substitute the
table of fees in schedule 3 of these Regulations.
(6) In schedule 2A (fees allowable to solicitors for simple procedure cases and First-Tier
Tribunal for Scotland cases)(c), substitute the table of fees in schedule 4 of these Regulations.
(7) In schedule 3 (table of detailed fees chargeable by solicitors for proceedings in the Court of
Session and the sheriff court), for the table of fees substitute the table of fees in schedule 5 of
these Regulations.
(8) In schedule 4 (fees of counsel for proceedings in the Court of S ession, Sheriff Appeal Court,
sheriff court, First-Tier Tribunal for Scotland and Upper Tribunal for Scotland)(d), for the table of
fees substitute the table of fees in schedule 6 of these Regulations.
(9) In schedule 5 (table of detailed fees chargeable by solicitors for proceedings in the Court of
Session, Sheriff Appeal Court, and Upper Tribunal for Scotland, proceedings listed at regulation
5(3) and proceedings in the sheriff court listed in schedule 7)(e), for the table of fees substitute the
table of fees in schedule 7 of these Regulations.
(10) In schedule 6 (table of fees chargeable by solicitors fo r proceedings in the sheriff court
(except summary cause and executry proceedings and the proceedings listed in schedule 7) and in
the Sheriff Appeal Court)—
(a) in Chapter 1 (sheriff court civil fees (undefended)) in the Notes on the operation of
Chapter 1 in paragraph 6 for “£7.49”(f) substitute “£7.87”,
(b) in Chapter 2 (sheriff court civil fees (defended)) in the Notes on the operation of Chapter
2 in paragraph 21 for “£7.49”(g) substitute “£7.87”.
Amendments to the Criminal Legal Aid (Scotland) (Fees) Regulations 1989
4.—(1) The Criminal Legal Aid (Scotland) (Fees) Regulations 1989(h) are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 5(1) (fees allowances to solicitors: identification parades)(i)—
(a) in sub-paragraph (a)(i) for “£117.42” substitute “£123.30”,
(b) in sub-paragraph (a)(ii) for “£13.06” substitute “£13.72”,
(c) in sub-paragraph (b)(i) for “£96.62” substitute “£101.46”,
(a) S.I. 1989/1490; relevant amending instruments are S. I. 1990/473, S.I. 1991/565, S.I. 1992/372, S.I. 1994/1015, S.I.
S.S.I 2019/78 and S.S.I. 2020/191. Regulation 11 was modified by paragraph 23 of schedule 4 of the Coronavirus
(Scotland) Act 2020 (asp 7).
(b) Paragraph (2A) was inserted by S.S.I. 2003/178 and this figure substituted by S.S.I. 2019/78.
(c) Schedule 2A was inserted by S.S.I. 2016/290 and amended by S.S.I. 2019/78.
(d) Schedule 4 was inserted and renamed by S.S.I 2011/160, renamed by S.S.I. 2016/257 and amended by S.S.I. 2019/78.
(e) Schedule 5 was inserted by S.S.I. 2003/178 and renamed by S.S.I. 2016/257.
(f) This figure substituted by S.S.I. 2019/78.
(g) Paragraph 21 was inserted by S.S.I 2003/178 and this figure substituted by S.S.I. 2019/78.
(h) S.I. 1989/1491; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1 991/566, S.I. 1992/374, S.S.I. 2004/264, S.S.I. 2005/113, S.S.I.
(i) Regulation 5 substituted by S.S.I. 2010/212 and amended by S.S.I. 2019/78.
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(d) in sub-paragraph (b)(ii) for “£12.18” substitute “£12.79”.
(3) In regulation 6 (duty solicitors’ fees)(a)—
(a) for “£64.89” in each place where it appears substitute “£68.14”,
(b) for “£9.27” in each place where it appears substitute “£9.74”,
(c) for “£72.10” in each place where it appears substitute “£75.71”.
(4) After regulation 10 (fees allowable to counsel) insert—
“Fees (exceptional) allowable to counsel in appeal proceedings
10ZA.—(1) This regulation applies only pending leave to appeal being granted by the
Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary.
(2) Counsel who provides criminal legal aid in relation to preparation of the note of
appeal, or preparation of the note of appeal and counsel’s opinion on the merits of an appeal
for the purposes of proceedings under section 107 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act
1995—
(a) where the circumstances prescribed in paragraph (4) exist, and
(b) subject to the conditions prescribed in paragraph (5),
is to be paid an additional fee for work carried out in accordance with schedule 2, subject to
the modifications to the notes on the operation of schedule 2 specified in paragraph (9).
(3) It is for the Board to determine whether the circumstances prescribed in paragraph (4)
exist.
(4) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (2)(a) are that the amount of fees payable
to counsel in accordance with these Regulations (other than under paragraph (2)) would be
likely to result in an assisted person being deprived of effective legal assistance.
(5) The conditions referred to in paragraph (2)(b) are—
(a) that counsel providing the criminal legal aid is to make an application to the Board
in such a manner and form (which may include an online form) and containing
such information as the Board may specify at as early a stage in the provision of
criminal legal aid as is reasonably practicable,
(b) that counsel is, if required by the Board to do so, to supply such further
information or such documents as the Board may require to enable it to determine
that application, and
(c) that counsel is to keep proper records of all professional services provided by way
of that criminal legal aid, whether before or after the Board determines whether the
conditions prescribed in this paragraph are met.
(6) Counsel may apply for a review where the Board has determined that the
circumstances prescribed in paragraph (4) do not exist.
(7) An application for review—
(a) must be lodged with the Board within 15 days, beginning on the day notice of the
Board’s determination was given to the applicant,
(b) must include a statement of any matters which the applicant wishes the Board to
take into account in reviewing the application, and
(c) may be accompanied by such additional precognitions and other documents as the
applicant considers to be relevant to the review.
(8) Paragraph (7)(a) does not apply where the Board considers that there is a special
reason for it to consider a late application for review.
(a) Figures in regulation 6 substituted by S.S.I. 2019/78.

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