Crime news: Crown Court fee guidance updates and new claim forms

Updated guidance and revised forms are now available for practitioners to use when claiming for work in the Crown Court.

Ineffective trials

Guidance changes include a revised approach to fees for ineffective trials. These are likely to be payable where the case was listed for trial but did not proceed on the due date.

Daily attendance fees are payable where the trial has begun and the advocate attends court on a listed trial date. This applies irrespective of whether the case is called on to proceed on the day. The advocate should ensure they have signed in.

Reasons for ineffective trials include court administrative problems, absent defendants, absent witnesses, and the defence or prosecution being ‘not ready’.

This change follows feedback from the Bar Council.

Minor amendments have also been made to:

• clarify mandatory use of appropriate special preparation and unused claim forms
• confirm that the unused schedule (MG6C) and Disclosure Management Documents (DMDs) are payable as unused material but correspondence/covering letters are not included.

Unused material claim forms

We have also simplified the unused claim forms (AU1 and LU1) to make them more straightforward for providers to complete. This follows feedback from the Crime Contract Consultative Group (CCCG).

Travel allowances

The local bar travel allowances spreadsheet has been updated to reflect rail fare increases from March 2022.