Fees paid to all external legal firms undertaking work on behalf of the Law Officers’ Department for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010

1240/5(6325)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO H.M. ATTORNEY GENERAL BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. MARTIN

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 20th JUNE 2011

Question

Will  H.M.  Attorney  General  inform  Members  of  the  fees  paid  to  all  external  legal  firms undertaking work on behalf of the Law Officers' Department for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 with a breakdown of the fees paid to individual firms in each of those years?

Answer

We have taken the expression "all external legal firms" to relate to both Jersey legal practices and any firms of lawyers practicing outside of Jersey.

Although not strictly within the terms of the question (not being firms), information is also given as to payments made to the chambers of English barristers who may have either given advice to the  Attorney  General  or  assisted in the investigation of  and prosecution  of  serious crimes sometimes  on  an  extended  basis.  Accordingly  we  have  included  such  chambers  of  English Barristers in the term "all external legal firms".

Such external legal firms provide a variety of services to the Law Officers amongst which are:

1. The prosecution through appointed Crown Advocates of criminal cases on behalf of the Attorney General;
2. The representation through Advocates of Ministers in civil or family cases;
3. The provision of advice to the Law Officers' Department;
4. Acting as agents for the Law Officers' Department;
5. Providing investigatory services in connection with Criminal investigations; and
6. Providing prosecution support services.

No distinction is made in the information below between those activities.

We  have  given  information  relating  to  the  Historic  Child  Abuse  Inquiry  and  the  costs  of representing  the  Minster  for  Health  and  Social  Services  in  public  law  childrens'  matters separately. In the latter case a sum is paid by Health and Social Services to offset a proportion of that cost.

2008

Unless otherwise stated, barristers' chambers were working on one matter only during the year.

*In January 2010, in response to a question from Deputy Le Herissier, the Attorney General reported the amount paid to 7 Bedford Row in 2008 was £656,182. Due to an administrative oversight, one barrister's fees were omitted from that total, resulting in the higher figure now being reported.

Historic Child Abuse

2009

Unless otherwise stated, barristers' chambers were working on one matter only during the year.

Historic Child Abuse

2010

Unless otherwise stated, barristers' chambers were working on one matter only during the year.

Historic Child Abuse

Children's Matters

The Department receives £103,829 of Williamson' funding from the Health and Social Services Department to offset some of these expenses.