Legal aid rates rise on August 1

Press, 10 July 1987, Page 11

Legal aid rates rise on August 1

PA Wellington Offenders’ legal aid rates and the fees paid to duty solicitors will increase from August 1, said the Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer. Under the new rates practitioners in District Courts would be eligible for $5B or $77 an hour for preparation work, $27 or $3B for appearances on a plea of not guilty and $lB9 or $252 for each half-day in court conducting the defence. High Court practitioners would get $65 or $B6 an hour for preparation work and $247 or $329 for each half-day appearance in trials that start in that court, Mr Palmer said. Two scales exist to allow the Court to take into

account the seriousness of the offence, "complexity of the issues involved and the skill, labour and responsibilities of the lawyer assigned to the case,” Mr Palmer said. “These figures should go a long way towards returning the remuneration to a level at which the Government and the public can have a right to expect a quality legal aid service.” Duty solicitors’ fees would increase to $25 for each half-hour. Mr Palmer also announced increases in fees for jurors, witnesses and interpreters to take effect from August 1, not June 1 as had been previously reported.