What the cost in legal aid has been of appeals against minimum sentences to be served by life prisoners in each of the last four years and …

The Scottish Legal Aid Board records information which allows the identification of costs for criminal appeals relating to appeals against sentence and appeals against conviction and sentence. Their systems do not specifically identify appeals by life prisoners.
Table 1 sets out the amount the board has spent on appeals against sentence and Appeals against Conviction and Sentence in the last four years:
Table 1

| 2001-02
£
| 2002-03
£
| 2003-04
£
| 2004-05*
£

Leave to Appeal
- Sentence
| 1,258,188
| 1,216,283
| 1,173,968
| 2,194,920

Leave to Appeal – Conviction and Sentence
| 358,063
| 634,258
| 642,294
| 839,625

Note:
* Data for 2004-05 is for the eleven months to February 2005.
Additionally, Table 2 sets out the amount the board spent on criminal assistance by way of representation (ABWOR) cases for life prisoners who were sentenced before the change in legislation introducing minimum sentences, for hearings at which their minimum sentences were set:
Table 2

| 2001-02
£
| 2002-03
£
| 2003-04
£
| 2004-05*
£

Criminal ABWOR – Life Prisoners
| Nil
| 44,577
| 64,847
| 65,999

Note:
* Data for 2004-05 is for the eleven months to February 2005.
Table 3 sets out the estimated future spend on Appeals against Sentence and Appeals against Conviction and Sentence for the next three years:
Table 3

| 2005-06
£
| 2006-07
£
| 2007-08
£

Leave to Appeal
- Sentence
| 1,957,000
| 1,828,000
| 1,779,000

Leave to Appeal – Conviction and Sentence
| 434,000
| 405,000
| 394,000