Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012

Legal costs E+W

3 E+W After section 31 insert—

“31A Legal costs

(1) The costs which the Appeal Court may direct the Secretary of State to pay under section 31 do not include legal costs, except where regulations made by the Lord Chancellor provide otherwise.

(2) Regulations under this section may, in particular, include—

(a) provision for an exception to arise where a determination has been made by a person specified in the regulations,

(b) provision requiring the Appeal Court, when they direct the payment of a sum that includes a sum in respect of legal costs, to include a statement to that effect in the direction, and

(c) provision that the Appeal Court may not direct the payment of a sum in respect of legal costs exceeding an amount specified in the regulations.

(3) In this section—

• “legal costs” means fees, charges, disbursements and other amounts payable in respect of advocacy services or litigation services including, in particular, expert witness costs;

• “advocacy services” means any services which it would be reasonable to expect a person who is exercising, or contemplating exercising, a right of audience in relation to any proceedings, or contemplated proceedings, to provide;

• “expert witness costs” means amounts payable in respect of the services of an expert witness, including amounts payable in connection with attendance by the witness at court or elsewhere;

• “litigation services” means any services which it would be reasonable to expect a person who is exercising, or contemplating exercising, a right to conduct litigation in relation to proceedings, or contemplated proceedings, to provide.”