*/
A Bar Council snapshot survey of chambers around England and Wales has revealed that the proposed cuts to criminal legal aid fees
would force many barristers to leave publicly funded criminal work while several chambers said they would be unable to offer pupillages
and one chambers feared closure. The proposed cuts are contained in the Ministry of Justice Consultation Paper, “Legal Aid: Funding
Reforms”. The consultation period closed on 12 November and the Bar Council, the Criminal Bar Association, young barristers and
regional Circuits have opposed the cuts, claiming they could drive barristers away from publicly funded criminal defence work, and create a potential risk of miscarriage of justice. Criminal Bar Association Chairman, Paul Mendelle QC said: “The cuts proposed in this paper are an unjustified and unprincipled attack on criminal legal aid. The government has gone back on the agreement made a mere two years ago following the Carter review.”
A Bar Council snapshot survey of chambers around England and Wales has revealed that the proposed cuts to criminal legal aid fees
would force many barristers to leave publicly funded criminal work while several chambers said they would be unable to offer pupillages
and one chambers feared closure. The proposed cuts are contained in the Ministry of Justice Consultation Paper, “Legal Aid: Funding
Reforms”. The consultation period closed on 12 November and the Bar Council, the Criminal Bar Association, young barristers and
regional Circuits have opposed the cuts, claiming they could drive barristers away from publicly funded criminal defence work, and create a potential risk of miscarriage of justice. Criminal Bar Association Chairman, Paul Mendelle QC said: “The cuts proposed in this paper are an unjustified and unprincipled attack on criminal legal aid. The government has gone back on the agreement made a mere two years ago following the Carter review.”
The Bar Council is ready to support a turn to the efficiencies that will make a difference
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
An interview with Rob Wagg, CEO of New Park Court Chambers
What meaningful steps can you take in 2026 to advance your legal career? asks Thomas Cowan of St Pauls Chambers
With at least 31 reports of AI hallucinations in UK legal cases – over 800 worldwide – and judges using AI to assist in judicial decision-making, the risks and benefits are impossible to ignore. Matthew Lee examines how different jurisdictions are responding
Ever wondered what a pupillage is like at the CPS? This Q and A provides an insight into the training, experience and next steps
The appointments of 96 new King’s Counsel (also known as silk) are announced today
Resolution of the criminal justice crisis does not lie in reheating old ideas that have been roundly rejected before, say Ed Vickers KC, Faras Baloch and Katie Bacon
With pupillage application season under way, Laura Wright reflects on her route to ‘tech barrister’ and offers advice for those aiming at a career at the Bar
