Legal Aid Cuts Bite

...and the top judge in the country is not a happy man:

Lord Neuberger on the latest Legal Aid cuts: bbc.in/XnkP8r

We've seen huge cuts in Criminal Lagal Aid and now it's Civil and Family's turn. Everyone understands that cuts to all departments have to be made but His Lordship is right when he suggests that this latest wave will have a direct effect on access to justice and undermine the Rule of Law.

So how about cutting the excessive fees of QCs? For years I worked at the coalface of Criminal Law and was never paid anywhere near my colleagues who did other work. Bitter? Oh yes. But I was always appalled at the ridiculously inflated fees earned by QCs. They still take a remarkably disproportionate amount from Legal Aid.

I have no problem with them being paid substantially more than juniors - they are at the top of their profession - but Joe Public seems to be under the impression that all lawyers milk the Legal Aid cow, mainly because of headlines like this: http://bit.ly/YWk1tI

So it was interesting to see The Justice Secretary's comments on (effectively) QCs competing with Juniors recently: http://bit.ly/YyhqCm

Good QCs will always want - and get - plenty of work without paying them eye-watering fees out of the public purse, and the sooner those in government get to grips with this fact the better. Sorry QCs, times are tough out there and it's about time you felt the pinch.