Solicitors refuse new criminal legal aid cases in protest at latest fee cuts

Solicitors in magistrates' courts and police stations across the country began refusing new legal aid cases yesterday, in protest at the government's latest 8.75% cuts to legal aid fees.

Firms in cities including Derby, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle have pledged to refuse legal aid work until the government reverses the fee cuts, which come on top of a 17.5% cut in fees made only last year. As the Times reports, it is expected that criminal trials may stall in the coming weeks and months as a result.

The latest cuts will come into force in January and solicitors have warned that they will cause firm closures and mass redundancies, while the profession’s loss of so many experienced lawyers may lower the quality of representation available to the public. The government says that there are too many criminal solicitors because crime has fallen, and that firms must make savings by scaling down.

As The Guardian reports, the protest is supported by the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association (LCCSA), the Criminal Law Solicitors Association and the Big Firms Group, which represents the 37 biggest legal aid firms. Meanwhile, the Criminal Bar Association met on Tuesday to review its position.

Jon Black, chairman of the LCCSA, said: "We have overwhelming support for this action, which regrettably is necessary as a result of the government’s intention to implement the proposed further cuts amounting to over 50% on some cases for January 2016, without carrying out the promised meaningful review."