The Criminal Legal Aid (Standard Crime Contract) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Made: at 10.00 a.m. on 10th September 2025

Laid before Parliament: at 4.30 p.m. on 10th September 2025

Coming into force: 1st October 2025

The Lord Chancellor makes these Regulations[^f00001] in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 2(3), 13(4) and (5), 15(1), (5) to (7) and (9), 21(2) and 41(3) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012[^f00002].

Citation, commencement and extent

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Criminal Legal Aid (Standard Crime Contract) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 1st October 2025.

• (2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.

Amendments to the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013

2

• (1) The Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013[^f00003] are amended as follows.

• (2) In each of the following places, for “2022 Standard Crime Contract” substitute “2025 Standard Crime Contract”—

• (a) regulation 2 (interpretation), in both places it occurs,

• (b) regulation 8(b) (applications),

• (c) regulation 11(3) (general),

• (d) regulation 14 (applications), in both places it occurs,

• (e) regulation 15(1)(b) (determinations),

• (f) regulation 16(e)(ii) (withdrawal), and

• (g) regulation 17(b) (appeal).

Amendments to the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013

3

• (1) The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013[^f00004] are amended as follows.

• (2) In each of the following places, for “2022 Standard Crime Contract” substitute “2025 Standard Crime Contract”—

• (a) regulation 8 (claims for fees for certain categories of work to which the Standard Crime Contract applies), in both places it occurs, and

• (b) paragraph 1(a) of Schedule 4 (rates payable for the claims specified in regulation 8).

• (3) In paragraph 2(8) of Schedule 4, for “Annex A to the 2022 Standard Crime Contract Guidance for reporting crime lower work” substitute “Annex A to version 18 (February 2025) of the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work”.

• (4) In paragraph 2A(5) of Schedule 4, for “Annex A to version 16 (December 2023) of the 2022 Standard Crime Contract Guidance for reporting crime lower work” substitute “Annex A to version 18 (February 2025) of the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work”.

Amendments to the Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations 2013

4

In regulation 5(2) (advice and assistance: exceptions from requirement to make a determination in respect of an individual’s financial resources) of the Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations 2013[^f00005], for “2022 Standard Crime Contract” substitute “2025 Standard Crime Contract”, in both places it occurs.

Transitional provision

5

• (1) These Regulations do not apply to services made available pursuant to a determination made before 1st October 2025 where the provider of those services does not hold a 2025 Standard Crime Contract.

• (2) In this regulation, “determination” means a determination under section 13 (advice and assistance for individuals in custody), 15 (advice and assistance for criminal proceedings) or 16 (representation for criminal proceedings) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

• (3) In this regulation, “provider” means a person who provides criminal legal aid pursuant to an arrangement with the Lord Chancellor under section 2(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Signed

Signed by authority of the Lord Chancellor

Sarah Sackman — Minister of State — Ministry of Justice — at 10.00 a.m. on 10th September 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations amend the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013 (“the General Regulations”), the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 (“the Remuneration Regulations”), and the Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations 2013 (“the Financial Regulations”). The General Regulations and the Financial Regulations together prescribe circumstances in which an individual qualifies for criminal legal aid under Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (“the Act”). The Remuneration Regulations make provision for the funding and remuneration of services made available under sections 13, 15 and 16 of the Act.

These Regulations amend the General Regulations, the Financial Regulations and the Remuneration Regulations to reflect the replacement of the 2022 Standard Crime Contract with the 2025 Standard Crime Contract on 1st October 2025. The Standard Crime Contract governs the contractual relationship between providers (organisations delivering criminal legal aid services) and the Lord Chancellor.

These Regulations also update references in the Remuneration Regulations to the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work (“the Guidance”), to reflect the latest version of the Guidance, being version 18 (February 2025).

Regulation 5 provides that these Regulations do not apply to remainder work carried out under the 2022 Standard Crime Contract, with “remainder work” defined in clause 1.1 of the 2022 Standard Crime Contract. These Regulations apply to determinations for criminal legal aid made on or after 1st October 2025, but also in relation to work done prior to 1st October 2025 by operation of Clause 1.28 of the 2025 Standard Crime Contract.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.

A hard copy of the 2025 Standard Crime Contract can be obtained free of charge from the Legal Aid Agency, 13th Floor, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ. The 2025 Standard Crime Contract is also available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2025.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: Section 42(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 provides that in Part 1 of that Act, “regulations” means regulations made by the Lord Chancellor.

[^f00002]: 2012 c. 10.

[^f00003]: S.I. 2013/9, amended by S.I. 2013/2790, 2017/311 and 2022/995; there are other amending instruments, but none is relevant.

[^f00004]: S.I. 2013/435, amended by S.I. 2013/2803, 2015/325, 2015/1416, 2016/313, 2017/311, 2022/995 and 2024/1163; there are other amending instruments, but none is relevant.

[^f00005]: S.I. 2013/471, amended by S.I. 2017/311 and 2022/995; there are other amending instruments, but none is relevant.