The London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA) has attacked Government proposals to allow salaried judges to return to practice, warning that the public perception of judges’ impartiality could be compromised if the controversial plans go ahead.

Responding to a consultation paper set out by the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), the body called the move “a retrograde step” and said the proposed safeguards to ensure judges remained impartial were unlikely to allay public concerns.