Mid Wales fees row solicitors in legal aid warning

Defence solicitors held a protest outside Welshpool Magistrates Court after the Ministry of Justice cut legal aid fees by 8.75 per cent last year and a further 8.75 per cent this year.

The solicitors held the protest before court proceedings on Tuesday, waving placards to highlight their plight. Solicitors across Shropshire are also considering refusing legal aid work at courts and police stations because of the policy.

Paul Inns, of Hanratty and Co in Newtown, said the situation is undermining the justice system. He said: "We held the protest – which was very well supported – to raise our fears. The way it is going is unjust and will completely undermine the criminal justice system.

"It is a farce and it can't go on like this. There will be a legal aid desert in Mid Wales as we are not going to do the work.

"We want our message to be clear – something has to be done to sort this issue out. We will not do the work. It is unsustainable to carry out legal aid work. It is not economical."

Mr Inns added: "There doesn't appear to be a Plan B from the Ministry of Justice. If we are not taking on legal aid work what are they going to do? They needed four companies to bid for legal aid work and they got one. We were not in a position to bid for it because it is not economically viable."

The protest was also supported by Montgomeryshire Lib Dem Welsh Assembly candidate Jane Dodds, who said: "The Liberal Democrats in government were the only thing holding the Conservatives back from running rampant with their cuts.

"This Government is taking the knife to our legal system which will only prove to be detrimental to the people who need it the most.

"Access to justice is an integral part of a free and fair society. The proposed tendering process and legal aid cuts will mean only the rich can afford legal support, and we must not let that happen."

A statement from Mid Wales Law Society said: "Given that there has been no increase in criminal legal aid rates for 20 years, and a 40 per cent reduction in the volume of criminal cases over the last two years, this latest cut means that it has simply become unsustainable to undertake criminal legal aid work."

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "The changes we are making to criminal legal aid are designed to deliver value for money to taxpayers and do not impact on the availability of high quality legal advice to those who need it most.

"Although we recognise that the transition will be challenging for lawyers, these changes will put the profession on a sustainable footing for the long-term.

"We have already pledged that an independent review looking at the impact of the new arrangements will begin in July 2016."