*/
Convicted defendants will have to pay fees of up to £1,200 towards the cost of their case, under provisions of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, which came into force on 13 April.
The new charges start at £150 for those who plead guilty to a summary offence in the magistrates’ court, rising to £500 following conviction in the magistrates’ court, and £1,200 for those convicted following a Crown court trial
Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling MP, said the charge will ensure criminals “pay their way”, but critics have warned that the fees, which were introduced without consultation, risk encouraging the innocent to plead guilty and add to the mountain of uncollected debt owed to the court service.
Bar Chairman, Alistair MacDonald QC, said: “In times of austerity, it is difficult to argue against the proposition that convicted offenders should make a contribution towards the cost of their trial.” But, he said charging fees of £1,200 is “completely unrealistic”.
He said the Bar Council is reviewing its policy on criminal court fees and will be making representations to government about it.
The Act contained a range of law changes, the creation of new offences and increased prison terms for terrorism offences and internet trolling.
New offences included revenge porn, punishable with a sentence of up to two years in jail, and four crimes of juror misconduct.
It also introduced controversial changes limiting access to judicial review, which the Government claims will speed up the process and cut the number of meritless claims “clogging” the courts.
The new charges start at £150 for those who plead guilty to a summary offence in the magistrates’ court, rising to £500 following conviction in the magistrates’ court, and £1,200 for those convicted following a Crown court trial
Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling MP, said the charge will ensure criminals “pay their way”, but critics have warned that the fees, which were introduced without consultation, risk encouraging the innocent to plead guilty and add to the mountain of uncollected debt owed to the court service.
Bar Chairman, Alistair MacDonald QC, said: “In times of austerity, it is difficult to argue against the proposition that convicted offenders should make a contribution towards the cost of their trial.” But, he said charging fees of £1,200 is “completely unrealistic”.
He said the Bar Council is reviewing its policy on criminal court fees and will be making representations to government about it.
The Act contained a range of law changes, the creation of new offences and increased prison terms for terrorism offences and internet trolling.
New offences included revenge porn, punishable with a sentence of up to two years in jail, and four crimes of juror misconduct.
It also introduced controversial changes limiting access to judicial review, which the Government claims will speed up the process and cut the number of meritless claims “clogging” the courts.
Convicted defendants will have to pay fees of up to £1,200 towards the cost of their case, under provisions of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, which came into force on 13 April.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group
Modernising communication and collaboration at a leading Chancery set. A Zexi case study
How to build profile without compromising professional duties. By Naumaan Farooq, Co-Founder of Inked PR
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the role of cut-off levels, and the wider range of factors that must be considered when interpreting results for family court proceedings
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
The case against judge-only justice – and why efficiency is not enough. By Professor Leslie Thomas KC
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Seeing the full picture – Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Lauren Fullerton examines the how, what and why of setting up a second chambers base
