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Legal aid review plan published | Legal aid review plan published |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The government is due to publish proposals which are likely to dramatically reshape the legal aid system in England and Wales. | The government is due to publish proposals which are likely to dramatically reshape the legal aid system in England and Wales. |
Ministers hope to save £100m a year on the £2bn-a-year legal aid structure. | |
Under the new plans, lawyers would bid for all legal aid work generated by groups of police stations, rather than be paid by the hour. | Under the new plans, lawyers would bid for all legal aid work generated by groups of police stations, rather than be paid by the hour. |
The plans are already facing opposition from the legal profession which says they would put people out of work. | The plans are already facing opposition from the legal profession which says they would put people out of work. |
The proposals are based on a report by Lord Carter of Coles, who reviewed the legal aid structure and published his findings in July. | |
Job losses | Job losses |
His report predicted that about 400 small law firms would merge or go out of business. | His report predicted that about 400 small law firms would merge or go out of business. |
And while young barristers would be paid 16% to 30% more in fees, top-earning QCs would face cuts, he said. | |
Money would be redirected from criminal legal aid, which is expected to be cut by more than 20% over four years, to under-funded civil law work. | Money would be redirected from criminal legal aid, which is expected to be cut by more than 20% over four years, to under-funded civil law work. |
Lord Carter said his 62 recommendations would strip £100m from the system over a five-year period. | |
After publishing his report in July, he said: "The existing system does permit people to make unreasonably large amounts of money. | After publishing his report in July, he said: "The existing system does permit people to make unreasonably large amounts of money. |
"We believe the new system can find ways to constrain that." | "We believe the new system can find ways to constrain that." |
Rising costs | Rising costs |
Since 1997, legal aid costs have risen from £1.5bn a year to £2.1bn. | |
Lord Carter revealed that £90m of that was spent on paying solicitors for the time they spent travelling or waiting at police stations and magistrates' courts in 2004-2005. | |
The Law Society, the solicitors' professional body, opposes the reforms. | The Law Society, the solicitors' professional body, opposes the reforms. |
And the Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association has said the proposals would force 1,000 law firms to close. | And the Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association has said the proposals would force 1,000 law firms to close. |
The government's proposals, which have gone out to consultation, will be closely based on Lord Carter's recommendations. | The government's proposals, which have gone out to consultation, will be closely based on Lord Carter's recommendations. |
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