NEW regulations on legal aid funding which guarantee equal fees for solicitors handling appeals in both the High Court and the new Sheriff Appeal Court have been welcomed by the industry body.
The Law Society of Scotland said the arrangement will allow the new court to get "up and running".
It comes days after Holyrood's Justice Committee rejected proposals to introduce lower legal aid fees for solicitor advocates acting in summary appeal cases at the Sheriff Appeal Court, compared to the High Court.
The Scottish Government had proposed a fee structure where solicitors at the new court would be paid £27.40 for a half hour appearance, compared to the standard High Court rate of £171.10.
The Sheriff Appeal Court is being set up to alleviate the backlog at the High Court, but the two-tier fee structure had sparked threats of a widespread boycott from lawyers.
Christine McLintock, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “We are very pleased that the Scottish Government has listened to the concerns we raised and has brought forward a new set of regulations before the opening of the new Sheriff Appeal Court next week.
"The new regulations are an interim measure but will ensure that the same arrangements that are currently in place in the High Court will be available in the Sheriff Appeal Court and allow the court to get up and running while providing time for a longer term solution as part of the six month review.
"This will provide assurance that people across Scotland can continue to access legal support for summary appeal cases during the transitional period of the new court being introduced.
“We are also pleased that the role of solicitor advocates has been recognised and under the new regulations brought forward, solicitor advocates will be able to provide the benefit of their experience and expertise in the new Sheriff Appeal Court as they do currently in the High Court."
The new regulations are set to come into force on Tuesday September 22.
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