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The Legal Aid (Notification of Very High Cost Cases) Regulations 2000

S.I. 2000/1801 · Made 27 June 2000

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

LEGAL AID AND ADVICE, ENGLAND AND WALES

Made 27th June 2000

Laid before Parliament 10th July 2000

Coming into force 1st August 2000

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 34(1) and 43 of the Legal Aid Act 1988f1, makes the following Regulations:

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

1988 c. 34; section 43 was amended by the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41), Schedule 18, paragraph 60. Section 43 is an interpretation provision and is cited because of the meaning given to “regulations”.

Contents

  1. 1Citation and commencement
  2. 2Interpretation
  3. 3Notification of Very High Cost Cases
  4. Signature
  5. Explanatory note

1Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Legal Aid (Notification of Very High Cost Cases) Regulations 2000 and shall come into force on 1st August 2000.

2Interpretation

In these Regulations:

  • “costs” means, in the case of a solicitor, the fees and disbursements payable under section 25 of the Legal Aid Act 1988 and, in the case of counsel, the fees payable under that section; and

  • “the Legal Services Commission” means the Legal Services Commission established under section 1 of the Access to Justice Act 1999f1.

3Notification of Very High Cost Cases

(1)

This regulation applies to Very High Cost Cases where representation is provided under Part V of the Legal Aid Act 1988.

(2)

A Very High Cost Case is a case with regard to which:

(a)

if the case proceeds to trial, that trial would be likely to last for 25 days or longer; or

(b)

the defence costs with regard to any one defendant (or group of defendants represented by the same firm of solicitors) are likely to amount to £150,000 or greater (such sum to include the solicitor’s costs and counsel’s fees and VAT).

(3)

Any solicitor who has conduct of a case which is a Very High Cost Case shall notify the Legal Services Commission in writing accordingly as soon as is practicable.

Signature

Signed by the authority of the Lord Chancellor

David Lock

Parliamentary Secretary,

Lord Chancellor’s Department

27th June 2000

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations provide that all Very High Cost Cases are to be reported to the Legal Services Commission by the conducting solicitor.