1996 No. 222
LEGAL AID, ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE
The Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings (Costs) (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996
Made 3rd June 1996
To be laid before Parliament
Coming into operation 29th June 1996

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 36(3) of the Legal Aid, Advice and Assistance (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, and now vested in him, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice and the Attorney General and with the approval of the Treasury and having had regard to the principle of allowing fair remuneration according to the work reasonably undertaken and properly done, hereby makes the following Rules:—
S.I.1981/228 (N.I. 8)
S.I.1982/159

1 Citation, commencement and interpretation
1 These Rules may be cited as the Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings (Costs) (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996 and shall come into operation on 29th June 1996.
2 In these Rules, “the principal Rules” means the Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings (Costs) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1992.
S.R. 1992 No. 314; as amended by S.R. 1995 No. 243

2 Transitional provisions
Rules 4 and 5 shall apply for the purposes of work done on or after 30th June 1996 to which the principal Rules apply.

3 Alteration of date
In rules 6(3) and 9(5)(a) of the principal Rules for the date “30th June 1996” there shall be substituted “30th June 1997”.

Amendment to the principal Rules
4 Schedule 1 to the principal Rules shall be amended as follows—
(a) for paragraph 1 of Part I, there shall be substituted the paragraph set out in Schedule 1;
(b) for the table set out in paragraph 4(3) of Part II, there shall be substituted the table set out in Schedule 2.
5 Schedule 2 to the principal Rules shall be amended as follows—
(a) for the table set out in paragraph 8 of Part I of Schedule 2, there shall be substituted the table set out in Schedule 3;
(b) for Table 1 set out in Part II of Schedule 2, there shall be substituted the table set out in Schedule 4.
Mackay of Clashfern, C. Dated 3rd June 1996
We approve
Bowen Wells Derek Conway Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury Dated 4th June 1996
SCHEDULE 1
Rule 4(a)
1 Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3, the appropriate authority shall allow fees for work allowed by it under rule 6 at the following basic rates:

(a) Magistrates' court proceedings
Class of work	Rate
Preparation	£44·75 per hour
Advocacy	£56·50 per hour
Attendance at court where counsel assigned	£30·50 per hour
Travelling and waiting	£24·75 per hour
Routine letters written and routine telephone calls	£3·45 per item

(b) Crown Court proceedings, High Court bail applications and appeals to the county court
Class of work	Grade of fee-earner	Rate
Preparation	Senior solicitor	£53·00 per hour
	Solicitor or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£45·00 per hour
	An apprentice or a pupil to a solicitor or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£29·75 per hour
Advocacy	Senior Solicitor	£64·50 per hour
	Solicitor	£56·00 per hour
Attendance at court where counsel assigned	Senior solicitor	£42·25 per hour
	Solicitor or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£34·00 per hour
	An apprentice or a pupil to a solicitor or fee- earner of equivalent experience	£20·50 per hour
Travelling and waiting	Senior solicitor	£24·75 per hour
	Solicitor or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£24·75 per hour
	An apprentice or a pupil to a solicitor or fee- earner of equivalent experience	£12·50 per hour
Routine letters written and routine telephone calls		£3·45 per item
SCHEDULE 2

TABLE Preparation
Type of Proceedings	Lower standard fee	Lower fee limit	Principal standard fee	Upper fee limit
Crown Court trials (including any case prepared for trial which was otherwise disposed of)	£129·50	£179·00	£249·50	£312·00
Guilty pleas	£81·50	£110·00	£175·00	£226·00
Appeals to the county court against conviction	£51·00	£68·00	£153·00	£233·00
Appeals to the county court against sentence	£36·25	£52·00	£93·00	£131·00
Proceedings of the type described in paragraph 1(2)(d)	£42·50	£51·00	£97·75	£141·00
Class of Work	Grade of fee-earner	Rate
ADVOCACY	Senior solicitor	£64·50 per hour
	Solicitor	£56·00 per hour
ATTENDANCE AT COURT WHERE COUNSEL ASSIGNED	Senior solicitor	£42·25 per hour
	Senior solicitor Solicitor or fee-earner of equal experience	£42·25 per hour £34·00 per hour
	An apprentice or a pupil to a solicitor or fee- earner of equivalent experience	£20·50 per hour
TRAVELLING AND WAITING	Senior solicitor	£24·75 per hour
	Solicitor or fee-earner of equivalent experience	£24·75 per hour
	An apprentice or a pupil to a solicitor or fee- earner of equivalent experience	£12·50 per hour
Rule 4(b)

SCHEDULE 3 TABLE
Rule 5(a)
Type of Proceedings	Standard basic fee
Trials (including any case prepared for trial which is otherwise disposed of)	£240·00
Guilty pleas	£205·00
Appeals to the county court against conviction	£117·00
Appeals to the county court against sentence	£84·00
Proceedings of the type described in paragraph (d)	£73·50
Standard appearance fee	£46·50
Standard refresher fee
(1) Half day	£86·00
(2) Full day	£166·00
(3) More than a full day	£251·00
Standard written work fee	£30·00
SCHEDULE 4 TABLE 1: JUNIOR COUNSEL
Court	Type of proceedings	Basic Fee	Full day refresher fee	Subsidiary Fees		
				Attendance at consultations, conferences and views	Written work	Attendance at applications and other appearances
Magistrates' Court	All cases	Maximum amount: £468·00	Maximum amount: £162·00	£29·25 per hour Minimum amount: amount: £14·50	Maximum amount: £51·25	Maximum amount: £94·00
County Court	Appeals against conviction	Maximum amount: £210·00
	Appeals against sentence	Maximum amount:£107·50	Maximum amount: £178·75	£33·50 per hour Minimum amount: £16·75	Maximum amount: £58.25	Maximum amount: £99·50
Crown Court	Trials	Maximum amount: £545·50				
	Cases prepared for trial which are otherwise disposed of	Maximum amount: £317·75	Maximum amount: £236·50	£33·50 per hour Minimum amount: £16·75	Maximum amount: £58·25	Maximum amount: £99·50
	Guilty Pleas	Maximum amount: £260·00				
	Proceedings of the type described in paragraph 7(d)	Maximum amount: £107·50				
High Court	Bail applications	Maximum amount: £71·00				
Rule 5(b)

(This note is not part of the Rules.)
These Rules amend the Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings (Costs) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1992 by increasing the rates of remuneration for certain legal aid work in criminal proceedings done on or after 30th June 1996. The Rules also alter the date after which certain work may be remunerated at discretionary instead of prescribed rates from 30th June 1996 to 30th June 1997.