*/
The Bar Council has put forward a redesigned Advocate’s Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) to the Ministry of Justice to change the way criminal defence barristers are paid in Crown Court cases lasting up to 60 days.
The AGFS working group, made up of Bar representatives from every circuit at all levels of seniority, and the Criminal Bar Association, has been working for the last year to design a new scheme structure.
The proposals take into account changes in working practices since the scheme was last reviewed in 2007, in particular the increased use of technology. They are designed to make the fees fairer, but not to increase the Government spend on these cases.
They seek to abolish the number of pages of prosecution evidence as the principal determinant of the level of fee, and the number of witnesses as a determinant of the fee.
Instead they propose to restore separate payments for sentences, Plea and Case Management Hearings and other ancillary hearings, and daily payments tailored to reflect and reward the skill and experience of advocates across the categories and bands of cases.
The new scheme creates a single standard case category into which a significant number of basic cases will fall, and introduces a permanent mechanism for reviewing the operation of the scheme.
Chairman of the Bar, Alistair MacDonald QC, said: “The last substantial revision of the scheme was in 2007. Since then, there have been many changes, such as the increased use of electronic evidence; a new scheme is therefore required.”
The proposals, he said, are designed to reward “skill, experience and the level of responsibility” in each case.
He added: “The working group’s proposals are designed to operate within the Ministry of Justice’s existing AGFS budget. They reflect both the Bar’s and the Ministry of Justice’s shared objectives of ensuring quality, certainty and simplicity.”
Barristers wishing to comment on the draft scheme should email their observations to Adrian Vincent, Head of Policy, Remuneration and the Employed Bar, at AVincent@BarCouncil.org.uk.
The Bar Council has put forward a redesigned Advocate’s Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) to the Ministry of Justice to change the way criminal defence barristers are paid in Crown Court cases lasting up to 60 days.
The AGFS working group, made up of Bar representatives from every circuit at all levels of seniority, and the Criminal Bar Association, has been working for the last year to design a new scheme structure.
The proposals take into account changes in working practices since the scheme was last reviewed in 2007, in particular the increased use of technology. They are designed to make the fees fairer, but not to increase the Government spend on these cases.
They seek to abolish the number of pages of prosecution evidence as the principal determinant of the level of fee, and the number of witnesses as a determinant of the fee.
Instead they propose to restore separate payments for sentences, Plea and Case Management Hearings and other ancillary hearings, and daily payments tailored to reflect and reward the skill and experience of advocates across the categories and bands of cases.
The new scheme creates a single standard case category into which a significant number of basic cases will fall, and introduces a permanent mechanism for reviewing the operation of the scheme.
Chairman of the Bar, Alistair MacDonald QC, said: “The last substantial revision of the scheme was in 2007. Since then, there have been many changes, such as the increased use of electronic evidence; a new scheme is therefore required.”
The proposals, he said, are designed to reward “skill, experience and the level of responsibility” in each case.
He added: “The working group’s proposals are designed to operate within the Ministry of Justice’s existing AGFS budget. They reflect both the Bar’s and the Ministry of Justice’s shared objectives of ensuring quality, certainty and simplicity.”
Barristers wishing to comment on the draft scheme should email their observations to Adrian Vincent, Head of Policy, Remuneration and the Employed Bar, at AVincent@BarCouncil.org.uk.
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
