Evidence submitted by Hon Mr Justice Collins,
Lead Judge, Administrative Court
I enclose as promised a copy of my response to
the DCA consultation paper on legal aid for appeals from the new
AIT (not printed).
You will see that it is not a response from
the judges of the Administrative Court as a whole. It occurred
to me that if there were to be any challenge to whatever was in
the end included in any Regulations, that challenge would come
to the Administrative Court and so it would be undesirable for
there to be an advance judicial view.
You may be aware that there is a proposed increase
in the fees payable for applications to the Administrative Court.
I am told that the relevant increase is to be from £180 to
£400. £400 will be a real disincentive to lawyers to
take on these cases.
I am content that my response should not be
regarded as confidential. Similarly, my previous letter (Annex)
can be relied on by the Committee but it must be made clear that
the response is mine and not that of the judges of the Administrative
Court as a whole.
14 December 2004
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