*/
Desmond Browne QC, the Chairman of the Bar Council, has criticised proposals to reform legal aid as “cuts in spending, pure and simple”.
In August, the Ministry of Justice (“MoJ”) set out its plans to “rebalance” the £2 billion legal aid budget, in its consultation, Legal Aid: Funding Reforms . These include “rationalising” the rate of pay for defence barristers in Crown Court cases so that they are brought more in line with CPS rates, which are on average 23 per cent less.
Browne warned: “Cuts on this scale will not merely drive down quality, they will force practitioners out of legal aid work.
The Bar accepts that there has been a lack of parity between prosecution and defence fees. That disparity arose simply because the CPS did not revise their rates in line with those of Lord Carter.
“It is the height of perversity to turn this issue on its head and force defence fees down to the level of unacceptably low prosecution fees.”
Browne has written to the heads of criminal sets asking for their views on how best to respond to “see off ” the proposal.
The MoJ also proposes to reduce fees for police station work in some areas, combine work on committals into one fixed fee, end payments for criminal file reviews, and pay experts the same for work in civil as in criminal cases.
Barristers have until 12 November to respond to the consultation.
Browne warned: “Cuts on this scale will not merely drive down quality, they will force practitioners out of legal aid work.
The Bar accepts that there has been a lack of parity between prosecution and defence fees. That disparity arose simply because the CPS did not revise their rates in line with those of Lord Carter.
“It is the height of perversity to turn this issue on its head and force defence fees down to the level of unacceptably low prosecution fees.”
Browne has written to the heads of criminal sets asking for their views on how best to respond to “see off ” the proposal.
The MoJ also proposes to reduce fees for police station work in some areas, combine work on committals into one fixed fee, end payments for criminal file reviews, and pay experts the same for work in civil as in criminal cases.
Barristers have until 12 November to respond to the consultation.
Desmond Browne QC, the Chairman of the Bar Council, has criticised proposals to reform legal aid as “cuts in spending, pure and simple”.
In August, the Ministry of Justice (“MoJ”) set out its plans to “rebalance” the £2 billion legal aid budget, in its consultation, Legal Aid: Funding Reforms. These include “rationalising” the rate of pay for defence barristers in Crown Court cases so that they are brought more in line with CPS rates, which are on average 23 per cent less.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Susie Griffin on the admin that keeps barristers from billable work
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
