If you have watched the news, listened to the radio or read a newspaper today, you will be aware of the strike which took place today, with many lawyers protesting outside courts over the legal aid cuts.
This day will no doubt be remembered for quite a while, and I am sure it is a story we have not heard the end of (so I will do my best to keep you updated as and when new developments occur over the next few weeks/months).
It has been estimated that thousands of criminal case lawyers have not attended courts all over England and Wales today, in protest at the proposed legal aid cuts of £220 million. The reason behind the strike is that lawyers argue that these cuts could potentially see their fees fall by up to 30% – thus reducing the representation which is available to defendants.
The Ministry of Justice currently defends their proposal stating that this was a tool to ensure legal aid remained “sustainable”.
It would be good to know what you all think on this topic, are the legal aid cuts fair? Should lawyers not see their fees fall?
So whilst there is a lot in the press tonight in relation to the strike, I will hold off writing anything further and will write a more in-depth update tomorrow!
I am heading into London for work tomorrow and I am sure this will no doubt be a hot topic of discussion!
rebecca x
#janlawblogpost