Standard Crime Contract 2017
Contract documents for providers of criminal legal aid services, 2017.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
The 2017 standard crime contract was replaced by the 2022 standard crime contract 2022 on 1 October 2022
The 2017 standard crime contract ran from 1 April 2017 to 30 September 2022.
Contract
The standard crime contract governs the provision of criminal legal aid services and consists of 4 documents:
- standard terms
- specification
- schedule
- contract for signature.
Standard terms
The standard terms govern the commercial relationship between the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) and legal aid providers.
The standard terms under the 2017 standard crime contract were amended as follows:
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Version 3 - the standard terms were amended effective from 1 January 2021 to support the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union on the 31 December 2020.
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Version 2 - the standard terms were amended effective from 25 May 2018 to take account of the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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Version 1 – the original version of the standard terms effective from 1 April 2017.
Full details of the amendments made to the standard terms are listed in the above document named tables of amendments to 2017 standard crime contract.
Specification
The specification sets out the rules for carrying out publicly funded criminal defence work in England and Wales. The rates for this work can be found in legal aid legislation.
The specification under the 2017 standard crime contract was amended as follows:
- Version 10 - the specification was amended effective from 1 November 2021 in relation to remote working for supervisors.
- Version 9 - the specification was amended effective from 7 June 2021 for advice and assistance for pre-charge engagement.
- Version 8 - the specification was amended effective from 1 January 2021 to support the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union on the 31 December 2020.
- Version 7 - the specification was amended effective from 19 October 2020 for the sending hearing fixed fee.
- Version 6 - the specification was amended effective from 26 June 2020 for the intensive paper review process rolled out in parole board cases.
- Version 5 - the specification was amended effective from 22 July 2019 for parole board reconsideration hearings.
- Version 4 - the duty solicitor provisions (including the 14 hours’ requirement) of the specification were amended effective from 23 July 2018.
- Version 3 - the specification was amended effective from 12 June 2018 following minor clarificatory changes on the scope of legal aid for prison law.
- Version 2 - the specification was amended effective from 21 February 2018 following changes to the scope of legal aid for prison law.
- Version 1 – the original version of the specification effective from 1 April 2017.
Full details of the amendments made to the specification are listed in the above document named tables of amendments to 2017 standard crime contract.
Sample schedule
This sets out provisions specific to individual providers. Use the sample schedule for illustration as schedules vary between providers.
Sample contract for signature
The contract for signature gives effect to the 2017 standard crime contract as a whole. Use the sample contract for signature for illustration as they vary between providers.
Associated contract documents
Duty solicitor guidance 2018
This was introduced alongside the specification (version 4) that came into force on 23 July 2018. It sets out how the LAA interprets the duty solicitor requirements, including the 14 hours’ requirement.
Training materials
Training materials are available to provide an overview of the 2017 standard crime contract:
Provider welcome pack – version 2 (effective from 23 July 2018) – this provides an overview of the contract from 23 July 2018 when changes were made to the duty solicitor requirements.
Provider welcome pack – version 1 (effective from 1 April 2017 to 22 July 2018) – this provides an overview of the contract before the changes were made to the duty solicitor requirements on 23 July 2018.
Overview module of digital requirements – this provides an overview of the digital requirements in the contract.
Overview module of prison law requirements – this provides an overview of the prison law requirements of the contract. It has been updated to include the changes made to the prison law section (section 12) in versions 2, 3,5 and 6 of the specification.
Category definitions
This sets out the legal definitions of each category of law covered by the 2017 standard crime contract.
Monthly payment protocol
This is the document that sets out the LAA approach to reconciliation and the review and amendment of monthly payments due under the specification of the 2017 standard crime contract.
Further documents
Updates to this page
Published 21 July 2016Last updated 23 February 2022 + show all updates
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The supervisor declaration forms for the 2017 Standard Crime Contract have been temporarily removed whilst the verification process for the tender for the 2022 Standard Crime Contract is on-going. Should you require a supervisor declaration form for compliance under the 2017 Standard Crime Contract during this period, your Contract Manager will be able to provide one.
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This change is to publish an amended version of the Specification that becomes effective on 1 November 2021.
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Police station representatives register updated
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Substitution of some guidance documents and amended text in the body of the narrative
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Publication of summary of amendments to Specification - DRAFT version 9 (to be effective from 7 June 2021) and Summary of amendments to specification - version 9 (effective from 7 June 2021)
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Publication of final versions of the crime contract documents amended for the EU Exit.
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Publication of summary of amendments to contract (effective from 1 January 2021), Standard Terms - draft version 3 (to be effective from 1 January 2021), and Specification - draft version 8 (to be effective from 1 January 2021).
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The following documents have been updated: Version 7 (current version) of the specification, version 6 (current version) of the specification, and version 7 of the summary of amendments to the specification.
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Version 7 of the (draft) specification and summary of amendments published.
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Publication of headline intentions document, which has details of extension and intention to procure new contracts in 2022.
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Police station representatives register updated
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Police station representatives register updated
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Publication of version 6 of the contract specification and revised overview module of prison law requirements.
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Draft version 6 of the specification and summary of amendments published.
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Police station representatives register updated
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Police station register arrangements published with an updated appeals procedure where a police station representative has been suspended from the register.
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Police station representatives register updated
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New crime contract documentation added to reflect the new process for reviewing parole board decisions. Version control introduced for the crime contract documentation to make more user friendly.
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Crime Contract Extension - Headline Intentions document published.
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Updated Crime Contract Specification for Prison Law work published.
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Police station representatives register updated
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Police station representatives register updated
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Police station representatives register updated.
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Police station representatives register updated
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Police station representatives register updated
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29 June 2018 - updated Crime Contract Specification and training slides for Duty Solicitor work
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'Crime Contract: Specification (June 2018 Prison Law amendments)' and associated updated training slides for Prison Law work published.
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Police station representatives register updated.
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Standard terms updated, contract amendment notice and summary of amendments published.
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Updated training slides for Prison Law work published.
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Crime Contract: Standard Terms (2018 Prison Law amendments) and Crime Contract: Specification (2018 Prison Law amendments) published.
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Police station representatives register updated.
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Police station representatives register updated.
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Police station representatives register updated.
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Police station representatives register published.
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Provider welcome pack, overview module of digital requirements and overview module of prison law requirements published.
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Standard terms and specification documents updated.
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Specification document updated.
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Supervisor declaration form: prison law updated.
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Supervisor declaration form: crime updated.
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First published.