There was never likely to be much compromise and so it proved. The Government today (27 February) confirmed its final package of reforms to the legal aid system following consultation, that includes a range of measures ‘specifically designed to support lawyers through a period of transition and modernisation’. The package – which the Government hopes will slice more than £200m from the £1.2bn criminal legal aid budget – was swiftly condemned by the profession with the Bar Council claiming the measures confirmed its ‘worst fears’.
Unveiling the reforms, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said that barrister fees would be reduced by an average of 6% under the advocates graduated fees scheme (AGFS), which will cover 99% of crown court cases.
