EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules 1988 No. 221
Issued by the Authority of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
AMENDMENT OF THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
These amendments allow for the increase in the scale of costs chargeable by solicitors for litigious work. They follow acceptance of recent recommendations of the Federal Costs Advisory Committee. The Committee was established to advise the Judges of the Court on variations on the quantum of costs for solicitors which should be fixed in the Rules.
The last increase was made on 1 March 1988. The present increase takes into account increases in the Consumer Price Index between 31 March 1988 and 26 July 1988 and the increases in Award Rates of Pay Index (A.C.T.) as between 31 March 1988 and 26 July 1988. The Committee continued to accept that 39% of solicitors’ gross fee costs was attributable to employees’ wages and salaries, 31% to other overheads and the remaining 30% to partners’ salaries and profits. The overall percentage increase has been fixed at 1.6%. The 1.6% increase has also been applied to the costs provided for in Order 4 rule 6 as well as the increased disbursement of a Court filing fee.