Councils have failed in their attempt to challenge increases in court fees for child care and placement applications. High Court judges last week dismissed a claim brought by four local authorities that the policy of ‘full cost recovery’ in family proceedings was unlawfully introduced.

Since May, fees for public law child care applications have risen from £150 to £4,825. The policy is part of a wider government drive to make courts self-funding through fees.

Four councils, the London Borough of Hillingdon, Liverpool City Council, Leeds City Council and Norfolk County Council, with the support of the Law Society and the NSPCC, sought a judicial review of the new regime.

The councils challenged on five points, claiming that the decision to implement full-cost recovery was made without prior consultation and was irrational.

Lord Justice Dyson, Mr Justice Bennett and Mr Justice Pitchford heard the three-day case in October and took just two weeks to reject the legal challenge.

In his judgment, Lord Justice Dyson said: ‘Many people may find the reasons advanced by the government unconvincing in justification of the increased fees. But the policy is not irrational and is not unlawful.’ And although the justification put forward by the government for the policy may also be unconvincing, he added, this is a matter for political debate.

In a joint statement, the councils said: ‘We are all committed to ensuring the safety of the children and young people of our boroughs and will not shy away from challenging central government.’

The Law Society and the NSPCC said they ‘sincerely hope that the court is correct in its assessment that vulnerable children will not be at risk under the new court fees regime’.