Amendment to the Legal Aid for Crown Court Proceedings (Costs) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2005

3.  In Schedule 1, after paragraph 16A, insert─

“16B.— (1) This paragraph applies to a Referral Hearing which means a hearing at which the court considers the exercise of its powers under section 9 of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016(1).

(2) The time-based fee specified in the Table below as appropriate to the representative (including the category of counsel instructed, as applicable) and to the duration of the hearing shall be payable.

TABLE OF REFERRAL HEARING FEES

	Solicitor Fee	Queen’s Counsel Fee	Leading Junior Counsel Fee	Led Junior Counsel Fee	Sole Junior Counsel Fee
Hearing not exceeding 1.5 hours	£113	£100	£94	£63	£82
Hearing exceeding 1.5 hours but not exceeding 3 hours	£188	£200	£150	£100	£130
Hearing exceeding 3 hours	£375	£400	£300	£200	£260”

(1)

2016 c.21 (N.I.).