- government publishes response to AGFS
consultation
- spending on fees to increase by £23 million
- money to be targeted at junior advocates
Announcing the move, Lord Chancellor also today (24
November 2018) committed to bring forward a 1% increase
on all fees to come into effect alongside the new
scheme.
The announcement follows a consultation on proposals to
increase spending on the revised Advocates Graduated
Fee Scheme (AGFS) by £15 million, announced in August.
After carefully considering the responses, the
government will now spend an additional £8 million,
bringing the total increase to £23 million. The money
will be specifically targeted at junior advocates to
support continued investment in the profession.
Lord Chancellor, said:
Criminal defence advocates play a crucial role in
upholding the rule of law, and it is vital that their
pay adequately reflects the work they do in a fair
and sustainable way.
We have acted on the views we have heard during our
engagement with the Bar and will increase spending on
criminal advocates’ fees by £8 million, bringing the
total increase to £23 million.
Alongside this, we are looking at how we can best
enable people to resolve their problems in a modern
justice system and are spending £1bn to modernise and
reform our courts and tribunals system. This will
make it more straightforward, accessible, and provide
better value for the taxpayer.
The government is committed to working closely with the
legal professions to ensure that criminal defence
advocacy is fit for the modern age and open to all.
The revised scheme will be reviewed after 18 months.
Notes to editors
- the scheme will come into effect via an SI,
scheduled to be laid in December
- the projected increase is based on overall spend on
the Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme in 2016 to 2017
