These Regulations amend the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) (Fees) Regulations 1989 (“the principal Regulations”) so that where there is an award of judicial expenses in favour of a person in receipt of civil legal aid, the Scottish Legal Aid Board may, if requested by that person’s solicitor, pay those expenses to the solicitor (and any counsel who acted in the case) instead of the fees and outlays prescribed in the principal Regulations (regulation 4).

Regulations 5(b) and 6(b) amend the principal Regulations to provide that certain fees prescribed in those Regulations shall be payable to solicitors and counsel for work done in relation to proceedings before the Social Security Commissioners and the Child Support Commissioners.

The Regulations also remove references to the Restrictive Practices Court (regulations 3, 5(a) and 6(a)).