 More drugs cases went to the High Court, pushing up costs |
The cost to the taxpayer of legal aid in Scotland rose this year by 7% to �146m, according to latest figures. Criminal legal aid accounted for most of the total, increasing by 10% to �102.2m, according to the annual report of the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
The number of summary criminal legal aid applications also reached their highest-ever level at 82,999.
Increases in the number and costs of drugs cases, and expensive cases like murder, were also noted by researchers.
More of the most serious drugs cases were heard in high courts than in the previous year and these cost an extra �2.5m in legal aid.
The cost of civil legal aid also increased - from �38m to �40m - even though the number of applications fell.
This was said to follow the trend of recent years which have seen far fewer fault-based divorce cases, more cases dealt with by mediation, and more compensation cases being handled by lawyers working on a no-win-no-fee basis.
Jean Couper, chairman of the Scottish Legal Aid Board, said last year had seen the most significant reform of civil legal aid in 50 years.
"We are fortunate that in Scotland, legal aid is not a fixed budget," she said.
"Yet the ongoing rise in costs must concern us all.
"We continue to work closely with the Scottish Executive, the legal profession and other justice system agencies to find new ways to deliver efficiency in the system which also gives the taxpayer the best possible value for money."
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The ongoing rise in costs must concern us all 
