Costs in Criminal Cases (Legal Costs) (Exceptions) Regulations 2013

Lord Faulks Excerpts

Monday 20th January 2014 Lords Chamber

Moved by

[Lord Faulks]

That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 25 November 2013 be approved.

Relevant documents: 15th Report from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments.

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[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con)]

My Lords, I shall speak also to the draft Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2013.

The Costs in Criminal Cases (Legal Costs) (Exceptions) Regulations 2013 amend the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 to provide that acquitted defendants who have been found to be ineligible for legal aid as a result of the new Crown Court financial eligibility threshold of £37,500 or more annual disposable household income can receive a payment from central funds in respect of their private defence costs.

The purpose of the regulations is to introduce an additional exception to Section 16A of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 and the general rule that a defendant’s costs order may not require payment out of central funds in respect of the accused’s legal costs. This amendment allows acquitted Crown Court defendants ineligible for legal aid as a result of the new threshold to apply for a defendant’s costs order and to receive a payment from central funds in respect of their private defence costs at legal aid rates. This is in line with the changes made in respect of acquitted defendants in the magistrates’ court which were approved by Parliament during the passage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 makes a number of provisions in relation to costs in criminal cases, including in relation to defence costs. Section 16A, in relation to legal costs, provides certain exceptions to the general rule that a defendant’s costs order may not require the payment out of central funds of an amount in respect of the accused’s legal costs.

The draft instrument under consideration makes provision for an additional exception under Section 16A. It allows acquitted Crown Court defendants ineligible for legal aid as a result of the new threshold to receive a payment from central funds in respect of their legal costs. Such defendants would be reimbursed at the rates and scales set out by the Lord Chancellor in guidance, as provided for by Regulation 7(6) of the Costs in Criminal Cases (General) Regulations 1986.

The amendments introduced by this instrument are an important element of the introduction of a financial eligibility threshold in the Crown Court, to ensure that the wealthiest defendants would no longer automatically be provided with legal aid up front at public expense. The threshold has been set at a level where we believe the majority of defendants should be able to pay the defence costs of Crown Court cases privately, as set out in the Transforming Legal Aid: Next Steps response paper. There will, however, be a review mechanism to ensure that those individuals who really cannot pay their defence costs privately can be represented in court. This will be similar to the existing hardship scheme in the magistrates’ courts. As I outlined earlier, acquitted defendants, subject to your Lordships’ approval, will receive a payment from central funds at rates and scales set by the Lord Chancellor.

To conclude our proposals on criminal costs, the Government believe it is right to include an additional exception to allow acquitted Crown Court defendants ineligible for legal aid as a result of the new threshold to receive a payment from central funds in respect of their legal costs. Even though this will cost the public purse at a time of significant pressure on departmental budgets, it is a fair change to make given that such defendants will need to pay privately.

I now turn to the draft Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2013, which amend the Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) Regulations 2013. They amend the merits criteria that apply in applications for civil legal aid to prevent funding for cases assessed as having borderline prospects of success. It is important to note that this affects only certain applications for a specific form of service. The purpose of these regulations is to prevent cases assessed as having borderline prospects of success from receiving civil legal aid in the future.

In order to be funded, civil legal aid cases must pass the applicable merits test, as set out in the 2013 regulations. The aim of the test is to ensure that funding is targeted at the cases that most justify it. The prospects of success test is just one element of the overall merits criteria that civil legal aid cases are subject to, but it is an important element. Not all applications are subject to a prospects of success test. Only applications for full representation, a specific form of civil legal service, are directly subject to a prospects of success test. Therefore applications for legal help—the advice and assistance level of legal aid—and other types of service are not subject to this test. Also, there are certain categories of case, for example certain family and mental health cases, where the test does not apply. It is important to note that these cases are not affected by this instrument.

However, where the prospects of success test applies, its purpose is to ensure that taxpayers’ money is targeted at the cases that most justify it. It also ensures that weak cases are not funded. Currently, certain cases assessed as having borderline prospects of success can be funded in limited circumstances. The regulations that your Lordships are considering today will remove funding for cases assessed as having borderline prospects of success. I am aware that concerns have been raised about our policy on borderline cases. Let me deal with one or two of those. I recognise that there is some unease over the effect these regulations might have on the development of case law and the funding of so-called test cases or those with the potential to advance the common law. Legal aid cases have indeed led to the development of case law in the past, but that alone is not sufficient justification for legal aid to be granted in cases that do not have at least a 50% prospect of success. In addition, I do not think that our proposal will hinder or prevent the development of case law. The arguments are likely to be strong for such a development to be warranted.

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[Lord Beecham]

At this hour of the night, I am quite prepared to accept any correction of the arithmetic. The Government, of course, are never prepared to accept a correction of their arithmetic.

[Lord Faulks]

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords and noble and learned Lords for their very generous welcome to me. It is a daunting position to find yourself in. I know that, despite the generosity of the welcome, there will be no lack of rigour in the examination to which I am put as a representative of the Government and I look forward to receiving the many useful contributions characterised by those today, which, I am likely to be advised, will be forthcoming in the next weeks and months.

This debate has ranged far and wide, perhaps rather further than the strict terms of the two Motions envisaged. For example, there have been general laments about the Government’s approach to legal aid from the noble Lord, Lord Bach. There has been reference by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hope, to the difficult interpretation of Section 2 of the Human Rights Act and by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Woolf, to the need for high-quality judicial assistance. All these are important points, but I hope that the House will forgive me if I do not deal with all those points but try to concentrate more specifically on the issues that concern these regulations.

One of the main themes of the debate was the fear that the lack of legal aid for these borderline cases will result in some form of ossification of the common law—that it will not develop in the absence of legal aid for such borderline cases. It is worth remembering that the common law develops in a number of different ways, sometimes with cases which one would not expect to result in a change in the law. The Government believe that prospect of success—the test that is applied—remains a useful and sound test and that a 50% prospect of success is a reasonable one and should not result in cases not being brought and the law not developing.

Individual cases were mentioned, including Pinnock, Smith v Ministry of Defence, Purdy, Pretty and Anufrijeva, to name but a few, all of which were important cases. Of course, the Government are not in a position to comment on individual cases, or precisely on the funding arrangements that may have existed in those cases. There may be other cases which have not resulted in success or in the development of the law. The Government remain doubtful that the change which these regulations will bring about will prevent cases being brought in areas where the law will develop and has developed. One of the ways in which the law has developed is through the Human Rights Act, and it shows little sign of standing still in that regard.

The noble Lord, Lord Bach, asked particularly about the impact on housing cases. I recognise the serious consequences that can ensue from housing cases—the potential for someone to lose their home. Indeed, there are all sorts of cases where there may be serious consequences. But there always has to be an assessment of the merits of a case—that has been well established in the granting of legal aid—and it has been a fundamental part of the scheme since its inception.

The noble Lord also questioned the accuracy of the savings which are put forward. The Government’s best estimate is £1 million. An impact assessment estimated that 100 fewer cases would be funded. As was made clear in the methodology, those were rounded figures. Further supporting data consisting of a breakdown by category of law have been included in the updated impact assessment published alongside the consultation response. While the estimate is based on 2011-12 data, I can assure the House that it is consistent with more recent data; that is, the data from 2012 and 2013. The noble Lord also made reference to the criticism of the regulation by the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee.

The cases which may be included are those where there is a dispute over law or expert evidence. I mentioned that there may still be legal aid where it is as yet impossible to assess the prospect of success, but the Government have been frank that they consider it reasonable in principle that 50% should be the touchstone. We suggest to the House that it is a very reasonable and rather modest prospect of success when one bears in mind the sort of decisions that somebody paying privately might make in deciding whether to pursue litigation. Indeed, many would say that 50% was rather a modest prospect of success and very few privately paying citizens are much enthused or encouraged by the fact that their case raises an interesting point of law. They may well find that that is a less enticing prospect than the fact that they risk losing the case.

Several noble Lords made reference to the fact that there might be some form of inequality of arms because many of the cases were brought against government, either local government or government in one department or another. The Government’s position regarding litigation is that they take into account a broad range of factors when deciding whether to defend or appeal legal challenges, including the prospects of success and the potential costs versus benefits of that action. However, it would be simplistic to say that the Government simply took advantage, as it were, of their overall position in deciding their approach to litigation. It is already a principle of the current scheme that most cases, even those concerning issues of high importance, must have a reasonable prospect of success in order to warrant public funding, and there has to be an assessment of merits and a decision must be made.