The current criminal legal aid system does not provide enough incentives for legal representatives to take early action to progress cases through the system as quickly as possible. The legal aid fee structure should incentivise early engagement between defence lawyers and the police and the CPS. We note that the Government has sought to make changes to pre-charge engagement, but more changes are needed. The current system does not do enough to recompense lawyers for taking on complex cases at the police station and at the magistrates’ court. Investing more in early engagement will lead to savings to the public purse, as cases would be resolved at an earlier stage, which could free up capacity across the criminal justice system.