The fee will rise from £670 (+ VAT) to £1,000 (+ VAT). Under s 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, vulnerable witnesses and intimidated witnesses can video record their cross-examination, which is then presented at the trial without the witnesses needing to attend.
Nick Vineall, Chair of the Bar, said: ‘The inadequate fees to date have been a contributory factor in the shortage of counsel for rape and serious sexual offence (RASSO) cases.’
The use of pre-recorded cross-examination is currently the subject of a Justice Committee review.
Vineall said it was ‘right’ that the Justice Committee review s 28 hearings since ‘its overuse may lead to lower conviction rates because recorded evidence may not be considered by juries to be as compelling as evidence given in front of them’.
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