The Contract Amendments to the Specification and Standard Terms have been published.
CWA and associated Crime Lower reporting Guidance has been updated to include a new code, INVM, to bill this work.
Amendments have also been made to the Criminal Bills Assessment Manual.
Summary of the changes
Pre-charge engagement refers to voluntary engagement between the parties to an investigation after the first police (PACE) interview, and before any suspect has been formally charged, undertaken in accordance with the Attorney General's guidelines on disclosure.
The fees remunerate solicitors who act on behalf of suspects engaged in this process, these will be remunerated on an hourly rates basis with an upper costs limit of £273.75. Where can I find out more?
Chapter 9 of the Standard Crime Contract sets out the contractual rules which apply to the new fee.
