News and communications

A new document focusing on the forthcoming tender and content of the 2025 contract.

• Updated: 7 May 2024

Criminal Legal Aid Manual updated to explain the process for applications for partially convicted defendants to pay a proportion of their costs.

• Updated: 2 May 2024

Working with the Law Society and Association of Prison Lawyers, the LAA have amended the crime contract and associated guidance.

• Updated: 5 March 2024

eForms submitted more than 7 years ago will be archived to restore stability to eForms database.

• Updated: 25 January 2024

Our guidance has been updated to include information on claiming for offences not listed in the AGFS banding document or LGFS table of offences.

• Updated: 7 December 2023

We have updated our guidance to provide more detail on how to make accommodation and mileage claims for Crown Court work.

• Updated: 7 December 2023

New criminal contract schedules beginning 1 October 2023 to be made available by the end of August.

• Updated: 23 August 2023

Removal of financial eligibility tests for under 18s.

• Updated: 3 August 2023

The changes are designed to increase flexibility for providers and reduce administrative burdens.

• Updated: 20 July 2023

We are making changes from 1 July 2023 to the 2022 Standard Crime Contract which will allow providers to bill for pre-charge bail matters before the case ends.

• Updated: 26 June 2023

Revisions include interim payment of cost claims known as ‘disbursements’ and the new section 28 fixed fee.

• Updated: 20 April 2023

We are developing a new digital service to replace CRM14 and CRM15 eForms and testing with providers and caseworkers starts in summer 2023.

• Updated: 5 April 2023

You can now download new versions of digital Proceeds of Crime Act claim forms PA1, PL1 and PL2.

• Updated: 19 October 2022

Help and guidance for providers carrying out work from 1 October under the 2022 Standard Crime Contract.

• Updated: 3 October 2022

Criminal legal aid schemes will see wide-ranging fee increases from 30 September 2022.

• Updated: 30 September 2022

We are introducing a new dedicated email service especially for crime providers to help with associated civil JR applications in custody time limit cases.

• Updated: 22 September 2022

We will shortly be inviting organisations whose 2022 Standard Crime Contract bids have completed verification to provide details of their duty solicitors.

• Updated: 11 May 2022

Criminal Bills Assessment Manual updated to reflect new guidance on the use of intermediaries to help vulnerable users of courts and tribunals.

• Updated: 7 April 2022

Criminal Bills Assessment Manual updated for contempt matters and breaches of injunctions.

• Updated: 24 March 2022

We are updating Crown Court fee claims guidance, unused material claim forms and local bar travel allowances.

• Updated: 10 March 2022