The Law Society has confirmed its plan to cut practising certificate fees for the first time in almost a decade, as the body embarks on a post-Clementi shake-down of its annual spending.

In their latest meeting last month, council members agreed the new budget plan for 2006, which includes measures to cut the certificate fee to £950 from £1,020, in line with a £4m cut to £94m in Chancery Lane spending.