Fees Bulletin No.2 of 2023 – Very High Cost Case Scheme
|Publication
- This fees bulletin outlines changes to the Very High Cost Case (VHCC) Fee Scheme, which will come into effect on 2 May 2023.
Rates of remuneration
- With effect from 2 May 2023 a 15% increase will be applied to all VHCC fee rates. The new rates are set out in the table below and also contained in Part 4 of the VHCC Terms of Appointment (May 2023)
| Advocate | Hourly rates for preparation | Full day advocacy rates | Half day advocacy rate | Other hearings* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | ||||
| KC / Senior Treasury Counsel | £196 | £150 | £115 | £656 | £328 | £161 |
| Leading Junior | £155 | £121 | £104 | £495 | £247 | £115 |
| Junior alone / Junior Treasury Counsel alone | £121 | £104 | £92 | £357 | £178 | £92 |
| Junior led by KC / STC or First led junior | £121 | £104 | £92 | £357 | £178 | £92 |
| Enhanced Second Led Junior / Disclosure Junior | £104 | £81 | £69 | £230 | £115 | £46 |
| Second Led Junior | £81 | £63 | £58 | £173 | £86 | £46 |
| Noter | £144 | £72 | £40 | |||
Application of the new rates
- The new rates will apply to all new VHCC instructions – reduced and full scheme – on or after 2 May 2023.
- Full scheme cases – the new rates will apply as follows:
- to all VHCC stages commencing on or after 2 May 2023
- to all ongoing VHCC stages which conclude on or after 2 May 2023. For example, if a VHCC stage commenced on 1 April 2023 and ends on 1 June 2023 (after the implementation date), the entirety of the work undertaken during that stage will fall to be paid at the new rates. All subsequent stages will also attract the new rates.
VHCC stages in ongoing cases which conclude prior to 2 May 2023 will be paid at the old rates.
- Reduced scheme cases – the new rates will apply as follows:
- to all new reduced scheme VHCC instructions issued on or after 2 May 2023
- to all preparation and advocacy work undertaken on or after 2 May 2023 in ongoing reduced scheme VHCCs. Work conducted prior to implementation will be paid at the old rates.
Led Juniors / First Led Juniors
- Another change being introduced from 2 May 2023 will see Led Junior / First Led Junior work remunerated at the same rate as the Junior Alone rate. The uplifted rates will apply as set out above.
Calculation of VHCC payments
- For internal colleagues, a newly updated electronic Notification of Fees Form (eNOFF) will be available on the CPS internal Intranet for the purposes of calculating fees payable.
Further enquiries
- This bulletin is available on the CPS internal Intranet and the CPS website and can be shared with chambers. Should you have any further queries in relation to this Fees Bulletin, please contact your Case Auditor or the CBU Fees mailbox (CBU.FEES@cps.gov.uk).
Wendy Pitsillides
Head of Fees
Court Business Unit