Special urgency in summary criminal proceedings

We are able to make criminal legal aid available to your client in a matter of special urgency, even when we have not yet been satisfied of financial eligibility or the interests of justice test.

If you have an urgent court hearing and you can send a full legal aid application, we will prioritise it and consider the full legal aid application urgently, before the court hearing. You should telephone us once you have sent it, so that we can immediately assess the application.

If you can’t send a full legal aid application, then you must call us to make an application for special urgency cover in summary proceedings.

We will grant an application for legal aid on the basis of special urgency for cases where we are satisfied that a complete legal aid application cannot be processed, prior to the upcoming court appearance.

It is only for cases where the court appearance is imminent (set for that day), or where you are unable to submit a full application urgently that legal aid on the basis of special urgency will be granted.

We will grant cover for any work required for that appearance, but you must complete a full legal aid application for any further work.

Statutory factors to be taken into consideration when applying the interests of justice test in JP Court cases

Review of a refusal of an application in summary proceedings