Bar representatives today welcomed confirmation from the Crown Prosecution Service that the fee increases for prosecution work will apply to hearings in existing and new cases from 2 May. In a letter to bar leaders, the director of public prosecutions outlined:  

  • A 15% increase for all CPS fee rates, including the graduated fee scheme (GFS), the very high cost case (VHCC) fee scheme, and magistrates’ court and Youth court fee arrangements.
  • The introduction of a 10% case uplift for sentence hearings where multiple cases are sentenced on the same day.
  • The introduction of a new fixed fee of £670 for section 28 cases.
  • An increase to VHCC led junior rates to pay the equivalent of the revised VHCC junior alone rates.
  • Streamlined forensic reports included within the GFS page count.

Bar chair Nick Vineall KC said: ’We welcome the news that CPS fee increases will be implemented from the start of May. The disparity in fees between prosecution and defence had led to a worrying shortage in the availability of prosecutors, with cases across England and Wales being adjourned as a result.

’The Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association have worked together firstly to make strong representations to the Treasury to secure the necessary additional funding, and secondly to help shape the new package.

'Criminal barristers have suffered from many years of underfunding in the system and so we also welcome the commitment from the CPS to continue to engage with the Bar on remuneration to ensure fee schemes are fit for purpose.'

The Law Society repeated its call for a similar deal for defence solicitors. 'The government continues to short-change defence solicitors despite their crucial role as the backbone of the criminal justice system,'  said Society president Lubna Shuja. 'If the Treasury can find the money to give defence and prosecution barristers the recommended 15% rates rise then it should be able to do the same for solicitors whose situation was regarded as more "parlous" by Lord Bellamy [in his 2021 review of the sector].'

'It must be a priority to address the seriously damaging inequality that has led to more than 1,000 duty solicitors leaving the profession since 2017, many of them to the Crown Prosecution Service.'

 

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