Earlier this week lawyers voiced their concerns about cuts to criminal legal aid and questioned the viability of proposals by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which include a restructuring of the market and fee cuts of up to 30 per cent, which many legal aid firms said they will struggle to absorb.
In a meeting with Justice Minister Chris Grayling, representatives from local law societies, the Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association, London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association, Legal Aid Practitioners Group and others questioned the MoJ’s plans.
The delegates highlighted the difficulties many legal aid firms face in securing finance and the problems they anticipate in order to adapt to the new business models being proposed by the Government.
They also stressed the lack of time available to undertake the reorganisation being demanded of them and asked when the MoJ would make the announcement.
Mr Grayling replied that an announcement would be made, “pretty quickly” and confirmed that he would publish the ministry’s final proposals alongside the results of two independent studies currently being undertaken.
However, dissatisfied with the result of the meeting, criminal solicitors and barristers have announced that they will stage a full-day walkout next month in protest at the proposed cuts, in a move that will severely disrupt criminal courts. This follows a half-day boycott last month, which was the first time lawyers have ever boycotted hearings at Magistrates’ and Crown Courts.
According to lawyers who rely on legal aid payments for both prosecuting and defending criminal cases, successive reductions in fees since 1997 amount to cuts of 40 per cent of their income.
The walkout is planned for Friday 7 March and will, as last time, be accompanied by demonstrations.