19 April 2023
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed that fee increases for prosecution work will apply to hearings in existing and new cases and new or ongoing VHCC (very high-cost cases) from 2 May 2023.
In a letter to Bar leaders last week, the director of public prosecutions and the interim chief executive of the CPS outlined a 15% increase for all CPS rates, including magistrates’ court and youth court fee arrangements, as well as a 10% case uplift for sentence hearings where multiple cases are sentenced on the same day.
Welcoming the news, Bar chair Nick Vineall KC said: ‘The disparity in fees between prosecution and defence had led to a worrying shortage in the availability of prosecutors, with cases across England and Wales being adjourned as a result.’
However, the Law Society is calling for parity for criminal defence solicitors, whose fee increase amounted to an effective 9% rise according to Law Society analysis.
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