In brief: Full debate called for over court fees

The Legal Action Group has called for a full parliamentary debate on the funding of court costs, after the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mackay, bowed to a High Court ruling and said he would reinstate fee exemptions and remissions in the Supreme Court. The Lord Chancellor announced last week that he would not seek leave to appeal against the recent judgment, which ruled that he had acted unlawfully in abolishing fee exemption and remission at the same time as introducing large increases in civil court fees. Meanwhile, Lord Mackay has increased the income qualifying limits for legal aid in line with inflation at 2.6 per cent with effect from 7 April this year.