*/
The Ministry of Justice has announced increased legal aid fees for advocates in complex crown court cases.
Responding to a second consultation on proposals on the revised Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme, the Lord Chancellor David Gauke said the budget would rise by £23m – an extra £8m on top of the £15m previously announced.
The move came after an initial consultation to introduce fixed fees, which led to protest action by criminal barristers before the ministry agreed to increase spending by £15m.
Days before the announcement, five barristers had written to the Criminal Bar Association, stating that they would no longer accept cases with large volumes of written evidence, due to ‘derisory’ fees that mean they are paid below the minimum wage.
Announcing the move, Gauke also promised to bring forward a 1% increase on all fees. The money will be specifically targeted at junior advocates and the scheme will be reviewed after 18 months.
Gauke said: ‘Criminal defence advocates play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law, and it is vital that their pay adequately reflects the work they do in a fair and sustainable way.’
Speaking at the Bar Council’s annual conference, the day after the announcement, Bar Chair Andrew Walker QC said that justice and the rule of law have been put at risk due to ‘political folly’ and ‘expediency’. He branded the legal aid cuts a ‘betrayal’ that present a ‘huge threat to access to justice’.
Welcoming the extra money announced as a ‘positive first step’, Richard Hoyle, Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee, said at the conference: ‘Barristers from all across the Bar need to stand with our most junior practitioners at the publicly funded Bar as they try to find their feet, build their practices, and defend our most vital interests on little money and even less sleep.’
Meanwhile, two judicial heavyweights also warned about the impact of the legal aid cuts. The former President of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, told the BBC that things had gone ‘badly wrong’ over the past 20 years and said that ministers were taking the rule of law for granted and risked starving the justice system.
Sir Brian Leveson, Head of Criminal Justice, told the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association’s 70th anniversary dinner that without ‘new young blood’, suspects would face trials unrepresented. He cited Law Society research showing that the average age of duty solicitors was slightly under 50.
The Ministry of Justice has announced increased legal aid fees for advocates in complex crown court cases.
Responding to a second consultation on proposals on the revised Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme, the Lord Chancellor David Gauke said the budget would rise by £23m – an extra £8m on top of the £15m previously announced.
The move came after an initial consultation to introduce fixed fees, which led to protest action by criminal barristers before the ministry agreed to increase spending by £15m.
Days before the announcement, five barristers had written to the Criminal Bar Association, stating that they would no longer accept cases with large volumes of written evidence, due to ‘derisory’ fees that mean they are paid below the minimum wage.
Announcing the move, Gauke also promised to bring forward a 1% increase on all fees. The money will be specifically targeted at junior advocates and the scheme will be reviewed after 18 months.
Gauke said: ‘Criminal defence advocates play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law, and it is vital that their pay adequately reflects the work they do in a fair and sustainable way.’
Speaking at the Bar Council’s annual conference, the day after the announcement, Bar Chair Andrew Walker QC said that justice and the rule of law have been put at risk due to ‘political folly’ and ‘expediency’. He branded the legal aid cuts a ‘betrayal’ that present a ‘huge threat to access to justice’.
Welcoming the extra money announced as a ‘positive first step’, Richard Hoyle, Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee, said at the conference: ‘Barristers from all across the Bar need to stand with our most junior practitioners at the publicly funded Bar as they try to find their feet, build their practices, and defend our most vital interests on little money and even less sleep.’
Meanwhile, two judicial heavyweights also warned about the impact of the legal aid cuts. The former President of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, told the BBC that things had gone ‘badly wrong’ over the past 20 years and said that ministers were taking the rule of law for granted and risked starving the justice system.
Sir Brian Leveson, Head of Criminal Justice, told the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association’s 70th anniversary dinner that without ‘new young blood’, suspects would face trials unrepresented. He cited Law Society research showing that the average age of duty solicitors was slightly under 50.
Chair of the Bar reflects on 2025
Q&A with criminal barrister Nick Murphy, who moved to New Park Court Chambers on the North Eastern Circuit in search of a better work-life balance
Revolt Cycling in Holborn, London’s first sustainable fitness studio, invites barristers to join the revolution – turning pedal power into clean energy
Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, reflects on how the company’s Giving Back ethos continues to make a difference to communities across the UK
By Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
AlphaBiolabs has made a £500 donation to Sean’s Place, a men’s mental health charity based in Sefton, as part of its ongoing Giving Back initiative
Little has changed since Burns v Burns . Cohabiting couples deserve better than to be left on the blasted heath with the existing witch’s brew for another four decades, argues Christopher Stirling
Six months of court observation at the Old Bailey: APPEAL’s Dr Nisha Waller and Tehreem Sultan report their findings on prosecution practices under joint enterprise
Despite its prevalence, autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood in the criminal justice system. Does Alex Henry’s joint enterprise conviction expose the need to audit prisons? asks Dr Felicity Gerry KC
With automation now deeply embedded in the Department for Work Pensions, Alexander McColl and Alexa Thompson review what we know, what we don’t and avenues for legal challenge
Why were some Caribbean nations given such dramatically different constitutional frameworks when they gained independence from the UK? Dr Leonardo Raznovich examines the controversial savings clause
