We do not consider the following work to be unusual, and prior approval is not required for:
- taking a qualified precognition
- attendance at VIPER parade outside Scotland (if the costs are under £2,000)
- visiting a client in a prison outside Scotland to take instructions
- obtaining a report from your client’s GP
- commissioners’ costs (if under £2,000, excluding VAT).
- perusing Crown disclosure
- attendance of a second solicitor where evidence is being taken on commission at a SCTS remote site
- conducting a precognition on oath
- employing interpreters
- translation costs (if the costs are under £2,000)
- copying large volumes of papers – Schedule 1, Part 1, Paragraph 5 of the Criminal Legal Aid (Scotland)(Act) 1989 (as shown below) includes prescribed fees for photocopying. It is not possible to depart from these prescribed fees so if you are seeking approval to depart from these fees, we will refuse any request to do so and make it clear that we cannot depart from the prescribed fees. There is no fee for photocopying—(a) where fewer than 20 sheets are copied at any one time;
(b) in relation to the first 20 sheets copied at any one time.
Subject to sub-paragraph (a), the fee for photocopying in relation to the proceedings is—
(a) for each sheet copied for up to 10,000 sheets £0.05
(b) for each sheet copied in addition to the first 10,000 sheets £0.01
- unqualified staff taking witness statements where there are likely to be additional expenses such as an overnight stay that would avoid further travel at a later date.
- expenses of defence witnesses cited to attend trial where there are travelling expenses such as air fares (if the costs are under £2000).
We will refuse all requests for prior approval for the work described above on the basis that the work is NOT unusual.
We will not grant any request for prior approval for work which is not unusual to provide comfort to you at the accounts stage.
