The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has this week issued amended contracts for very high cost case (VHCC) criminal work and given barristers a second chance to sign up to be on the panel.


The move follows the virtually wholesale rejection of the contract by barristers in January, over unacceptable fee rates and contract terms (see [2008] Gazette, 24 January, 1).



Under the revised contract, panel advocates will no longer be obliged to accept cases that may be considered distant.



The LSC has also removed the requirement for barristers to provide access to their electronic diaries, but instead will only insist on access to case management information in relation to cases being covered.



New contracts have been sent to all barristers who successfully tendered for the work. Revised contracts will also be sent to the solicitor firms which were offered contracts for the panel earlier this year. Both have until 14 March to sign up.



David Keegan, director of high cost case contracting at the LSC, said he hoped barristers would now sign the contract.



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Catherine Baksi