Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the following regulations made under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986:

• the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) (Fees) Regulations 1989

• the Criminal Legal Aid (Scotland) (Fees) Regulations 1989

• the Legal Aid in Contempt of Court Proceedings (Scotland) (Fees) Regulations 1992

• the Advice and Assistance (Scotland) Regulations 1996

• the Criminal Legal Aid Fixed Payments (Scotland) Regulations 1999

The amendments increase fees and outlays for legal aid and advice and assistance by 3%.

Regulation 2 provides—

• that the amendments made by regulations 3, 4, 5, and 6(2), (3) and (5) apply only to fees for work done or outlays incurred on or after the 26 April 2019. Where work for a fee prescribed in schedules 1 to 11 is conducted over more than one date, the work is deemed to have been done on the day on which the work comes to an end.

• that the amendments made by regulations 6(4) and 7 apply only in relation to a case where the criminal legal assistance concerned is granted or made available on or after 26 April 2019.

A Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared for these Regulations and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies can be obtained from the Scottish Government Justice Directorate, St Andrews House, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG.