Central Criminal Court Prior Authority Arrangement with Liverpool LSC

Dear Mr. Brown

I would be very grateful if you would alert all barristers' clerks to the special LSC arrangement for prior authority operating at the Central Criminal Court.

Many cases are delayed due to solicitors not picking up on the effective arrangement with Liverpool LSC and finding that their applications are turned down or delayed due to costs etc by London LSC.

If barristers clerks were to make barristers aware of the arrangement then when solicitors report the delays the barristers can advise them of the current arrangement that they may not have been aware of, or if they were aware they failed to use because they did not understand the advantages.

Liverpool LSC offers the following.

1. They accept e mailed or faxed applications and respond in 4 hours.

2. They are more tolerant of higher fees out of London and knock backs due to costs are very rare.

3. The arrangement although part of the Mental Health Pilot arrangement includes applications for ALL OTHER FORMS OF SPECIAL EXPERT - blood spatter etc etc etc. In other words there does not need to be a mental health angle at all.

4. If Solicitors get a refusal from London the Liverpool LSC will regard any further application made following refusal as a fresh application.

I hope that this information may encourage all barristers to ask solicitors when they become aware of hold ups due to funding 'Are you aware of the Central Criminal Court's LSC arrangement and are you using this?'

By all means pass on my contact details to all bar clerks and if I am not around contact can be made with Ian Tozer in Customer Services at the Court.

Both of us can get forms to solicitors quickly as necessary.

I enclose copies of the form for your information.

Do come back to me if you have any outstanding questions. I am grateful for any assistance that you may be able to offer.

For information purposes I have copied in HHJ Hone QC who is the Juicial contact for the Mental Health Liaison Scheme, the Court Manager Kate Griffiths and Ian Tozer at Customer Services.

Best wishes

Charles de Lacy

Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mental Health Liaison Team Central Criminal Court

0207 248 3277 Mobile 07957 687711