MoJ defends legal aid offer following Law Society broadside | News

The Ministry of Justice has signalled that it is unlikely to reconsider its felony legal support reforms pursuing the Law Society’s choice to withdraw guidance for the present proposals.

Next more assessment of the government’s proposals and meetings with officials, Chancery Lane declared yesterday that the ministry had ‘botched’ its reaction to the impartial felony legal assist overview.

Justice secretary Dominic Raab has insisted the government’s deal matches the review’s central £135m advice. Critics including the Culture declare investigation of the consultation doc and impact assessment display it does not.

As as effectively describing the government’s terms as ‘spin’, the Culture advised prison defence practitioners to believe ‘long and hard’ about no matter if they want to proceed performing publicly funded work as it no for a longer time believes the perform is economically practical.

In a assertion these days, a spokesperson for the ministry claimed: ‘We have approved Sir Christopher Bellamy’s recommendation for an uplift in expenses and our proposals will produce an additional £135m a yr in legal legal aid – the greatest improve in a 10 years.

‘This is along with our ambitious proposals to assure professionals are much better paid for the get the job done they have out, boosting spend for attorneys symbolizing suspects in police stations, magistrates’ court docket and youth court by 15% and funding the instruction and accreditation of solicitors and solicitor-advocates.’

The ministry said it inspired the lawful sector to interact in its session ‘so we can assurance this uplift will make the sector sustainable for the potential as we make again a stronger and fairer modern society soon after the pandemic’.

The department also pointed out that along with the disputed 15% uplift in particular fees, it is proposing to commit a further £10m in reforming the litigators’ graduated payment scheme.