Prime Highlights-
- Government unveils major criminal bar pay rise to tackle record court backlog.
- Guilty plea fees set to rise sharply under new legal aid funding plan.
Key Facts-
- Crown Court backlog stands at more than 80000 cases nationwide.
- General barrister fees rise 6 percent under new funding scheme.
Background-
The government has set out plans to spend up to £34 million a year on legal aid for the criminal bar, directing the funding toward higher fees for barristers who prosecute and defend publicly funded cases.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy had earlier announced the £34 million allocation, which came on top of a separate boost of up to £92 million a year for criminal legal aid solicitors.
The announcement follows Sir Brian Leveson’s independent review of the criminal courts, which found the system needed financial investment alongside structural reform. Ministers say the additional funding will help keep cases moving and reduce the Crown Court backlog, which now stands at more than 80,000 cases.
A consultation has opened setting out how the funding will be distributed through the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme, which determines payment for advocates representing legally aided defendants.
Under the new plan, all barristers will receive a general 6 percent increase in fees, with targeted rises on certain work pushing the average to around 11 percent, climbing to more than 13 percent for rape and serious sexual offence cases, and almost 50 percent for some guilty pleas.
Currently, a barrister whose case ends in a guilty plea receives a basic fee worth half of what they would earn for taking the same case to trial. Under the new plan, that figure would rise to 65 percent.
The government says the increase better reflects the preparation barristers put in before a plea is entered and could encourage earlier case resolution, improving court efficiency.
Courts Minister Sarah Sackman KC said victims deserve to see justice delivered without unnecessary delay, adding that the funding would support the barristers who keep cases moving and help clear the backlog.
