EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules 1987 No. 219
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 previous increase was made on 1 June 1987. The present increase takes into account increases in the Consumer Price Index between 30 June 1986 and 31 March 1987 and the increases in the Award Rates of Pay Index (A.C.T.) between 31 June 1986 and 31 March 1987. The Committee continued to accept that 39% of solicitors’ gross fee costs were 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 2.1%. That increase has been applied to the scale of costs in the Fourth Schedule to the Rules of Court (except items 36 and 37 which relates to witness’ fees and disbursements) for work done or services performed on or after 1 October 1987. The increase has also been applied to the costs provided for in Order 4 rule 6 except insofar as those costs include the disbursement of a Court filing fee.