Official Report 509KB pdf
Sheriff Court Fees Order 2026 (SSI 2026/74)
High Court of Justiciary Fees Order 2026 (SSI 2026/77)
Justice of the Peace Court Fees (Scotland) Order 2026 (SSI 2026/78)
Sheriff Appeal Court Fees Order 2026 (SSI 2026/79)
Court of Session etc. Fees Order 2026 (SSI 2026/80)
Adults with Incapacity (Public Guardian’s Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 (SSI 2026/81)
Welcome back. Our third agenda item is consideration of six Scottish statutory instruments under the negative procedure. I refer members to paper 3. Do members have any comments to make about any of the instruments?
:My question is not so much about the instruments themselves as about legal aid fees. There are increases in the cost of those fees, and I wonder whether the thresholds for the ability to claim legal aid will increase in line with them. For people who are on the margins of getting legal aid or not, the fees could push the costs up. Could the committee write to the Scottish Government to find that out and to flag it as an issue?
Do members agree to write to the Government to ask about that?
Members indicated agreement.
Do any other members wish to comment?
:Colleagues will know that I have voted against the orders in the past, when the increase was 20 per cent, but the current increases are broadly in line with, or just above, inflation, so I will not vote against them. I just put that on the record.
As no other members wish to comment, that concludes consideration of the instruments.
Before we move into private to consider the remaining items on our agenda, I note that, although there will be further meetings in private to consider our draft reports, this is expected to be our last meeting in public. With that in mind, I thank all committee members, past and present, and our Parliament staff. We absolutely could not do this without you, and you have all contributed so much to the work of the committee. I also thank all those who have given evidence, particularly those who have shared their lived experience with us, which has allowed us to undertake our work in a much more profound and informed way.
11:21
Meeting continued in private until 11:41.