Lawyers Walk Over Legal Aid Cuts

Thousands of solicitors and barristers displayed their anger at the Government’s legal aid cuts on Monday by holding the first walkout in the history of the criminal bar. The Government is planning to cut fees to reduce the legal aid budget by £220 million in the next five years, making it difficult for people to use criminal defence solicitors via the legal aid route. Fees could be reduced by almost a third (30%) in some lengthy and difficult cases. In protest against the proposals, lawyers stayed away from courts in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Winchester among other cities in England and Wales.

The ‘strike’ was supported by almost every chambers, according to Criminal Bar Association chair Nigel Lithman. Mr Lithman said Justice Secretary Chris Grayling had “manipulated” the figures to suggest criminal aid lawyers were “fat cats”. Around 200 legal representatives braved the cold outside the Old Bailey in London to show their strength of feeling against the cuts. The legal aid scheme in England and Wales is the most expensive in the world and although it will be reduced it will still be “very generous”, the Ministry of Justice claims.

We have one of the leading teams of criminal specialists in West London and the South East. If you are facing a serious criminal charge, contact a member of the IBB’s Criminal Defence team: call us on 08456 381 381 or email criminaldefence@ibblaw.co.uk.