STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

S.I. No. 385 of 1999

CRIMINAL JUSTICE (LEGAL AID) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1999

S.I. No. 385 of 1999

CRIMINAL JUSTICE (LEGAL AID) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1999

I, JOHN O'DONOGHUE, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 10(1)(b) of the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act, 1962 (No. 12 of 1962) (as adapted by the Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 298 of 1997 )), and in so far as the following Regulations relate to rates or scales of payment of fees, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, hereby make the following Regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) (Amendment) Regulations, 1999.

(2) The collective citation “the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Regulations, 1965 to 1999” shall include these Regulations.

2. (1) In these Regulations--

“the Act” means the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act, 1962 (No. 12 of 1962) ;

“the Regulations of 1998” mean the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1998 ( S.I. No. 160 of 1998 ).

(2) In these Regulations a reference to a Schedule is a reference to a Schedule to these Regulations unless it is indicated that reference to some other Regulations is intended.

3. The fees, payable under the Act, of a solicitor assigned in relation to a case in pursuance of a certificate for free legal aid for cases in the District Court and appeals to the Circuit Court, for bail applications to the Circuit Court or Special Criminal Court which are contested by the prosecution and for essential visits to prisons and other custodial centres (other than Garda Stations), shall be--

(a) with effect from the 1st day of July, 1999, those set out in the First Schedule (in lieu of those set out in the Fifth Schedule to the Regulations of 1998),

(b) with effect from the 1st day of April, 2000, those set out in the Third Schedule (in lieu of those set out in the First Schedule),

4. The fees, payable under the Act, of counsel assigned in relation to a case in pursuance of a certificate for free legal aid for bail applications to the Circuit Court or the Special Criminal Court which are contested by the prosecution and for essential visits to prisons and other custodial centres (other than Garda Stations), shall be--

(a) with effect from the 1st day of July, 1999, those set out in the Second Schedule (in lieu of those set out in the Sixth Schedule to the Regulations of 1998),

(b) with effect from the 1st day of April, 2000, those set out in the Fourth Schedule (in lieu of those set out in the Second Schedule),

5. The Regulations of 1998 are hereby revoked.

FIRST SCHEDULE

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

SECOND SCHEDULE

Part 1

Part 2

THIRD SCHEDULE

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

FOURTH SCHEDULE

Part 1

Part 2

The Minister for Finance consents to the making of the foregoing Regulations insofar as they relate to the scale or payment of fees.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations provide for an increase in the fees payable under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme to solicitors for attendance in the District Court and for appeals to the Circuit Court, and for an increase to solicitors and counsel in respect of essential visits to prisons and other custodial centres (other than Garda Stations) and for certain bail applications, as follows;

1.5% with effect from 1st July, 1999,

1% with effect from 1st April, 2000.