Carter reforms delayed

Planned changes to the way lawyers who attend clients at police stations are paid will be delayed, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has announced.
The changes, which involve adapting the system of remuneration for attendance at the police station to include fixed fees, were due to be introduced on 1 October 2007.

However, the LSC says, following the release of its consultation­, Amendments to the General Criminal Contract, a number of practical issues arose requiring careful consideration. This included the attendance of more than one solicitor through the life of an investigation.

In a statement, the LSC says: “These issues are the subject of ongoing negotiations between the LSC, the Law Society and other representative bodies. We have decided to delay finalising the contract notice that details the contract changes by two weeks to properly and fully consider the issues and ensure that the system and associated contract wording is appropriate and fair to all parties.

“Due to the required notice period, this delay means that the contractual and policy changes for police station remuneration, duty solicitor call centre expansion and very high cost case panel (commencing 1 November) will now be implemented from 15 October 2007—not 1 October as previously stated.”

It adds that the implementation of Criminal Defence Service Direct is subject to parliamentary timetabling to make amendments to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and an announcement on the implementation date of that will be made shortly.