The Justice Minister has agreed to implement all recommendations from a recent review of legal aid fees, delivering further increases for solicitors practising in criminal, civil and family law.

The agreement includes an additional 8.66% uplift to all legal aid fees in these areas. This comes on top of a 16% increase introduced earlier this year following the 2024 Burgess Review. Hourly rates for Exceptional Preparation in the Crown Court will also rise by 26.05%.

Subject to business cases and funding approvals, the new rates will become effective from 3 June 2026. Work to secure financial and legislative approvals has already begun, with additional payments expected to reach solicitors by early 2027.

A small number of other recommendations from the Accelerated Review of Criminal Legal Aid have been deferred. These include fees for solicitor consultations in the Crown Court, which will be revisited after further evidence is gathered.

Separately, a pilot scheme for PACE fees is advancing and is expected to deliver a significantly higher hourly rate for police station attendance work in the near future.

Law Society President Mark Borland welcomed the announcement, describing legal aid as a public service as essential as education or healthcare. He noted the proposed increases are a step in the right direction but stressed that continued engagement is needed to ensure legal aid work remains sustainable.

Mr Borland called for a system of regular fee reviews to prevent access to justice from being undermined. He warned that without fees keeping pace with rising business costs, the number of legal aid solicitors would continue to shrink.

The review team comprised His Honour Judge Burgess and John Miskelly.