Committee publication · Correspondence · 17 July 2026
Correspondence from Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, dated 15 July 2026 relating to the launch of a consultation on Criminal Legal Aid Advocate fees
From: Justice Committee
Summary
Sarah Sackman KC, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, informs the Justice Committee Chair that the Government is launching a six-week consultation on allocating an additional £34 million per year in criminal legal aid advocate fees. The consultation proposes specific fee adjustments across the Advocates' Graduates Fee Scheme (AGFS), including a 6% uplift on most fees, higher guilty plea ratios, and targeted increases for specific hearing types, applying only to new cases.
Key findings
- Government announces launch of consultation on distributing remaining £30.5 million of the £34 million annual criminal legal aid advocate fee investment announced in December 2025
- Proposes 6% uplift across most AGFS fees, excluding Daily Attendance Fees
- Proposes changing guilty plea to trial brief fee ratio from 50:100 to 65:100 to better reflect case complexity
- Proposes targeted increases: 25% uplift for PTPH fees, 20% for post-Crown Court sentencing hearings, 10% for appeals, and 25% for committal for sentence hearings
- Fee changes will apply only to new cases beginning after implementation; no retrospective application
Tone
ProceduralTopics
legal-aidcriminal-justiceadvocate-feescourt-reformpublic-finance
Key actors
Sarah Sackman KC MP, Andy Slaughter MP, Ministry of Justice, Justice Select Committee
Notable line
“… consultation are designed to: support the sustainability of the criminal advocate sector …”
Key Quotes
“In December 2025, we announced our intention to invest an additional up to £34 million per year in criminal legal aid advocate fees, in steady state, once the proposals are fully implemented, subject to consultation.”
“The consultation will help us gather valuable feedback and perspectives from stakeholders to inform our final decisions.”
“The proposed fee scheme changes will apply to new cases only, to cases that begin after the fee uplifts come into force, and they will not be applied retrospectively.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗