Around 400 solicitors gathered at Chancery Lane today (17 January) to unanimously back a motion rejecting the Government’s controversial reforms for the UK’s legal aid system.
At a Special General Meeting (SGM) held at the Law Society’s headquarters, the lawyers – most of whom are legal aid practitioners – gave their overwhelming support to a motion tabled late last year by Southampton practitioner Roger Peach. The manifesto calls for solicitors to reject the Government’s proposals to introduce competitive tendering between firms and the awarding of fixed-length contracts for legal aid work. It also urges the Law Society to renegotiate fresh terms for criminal defence contracts.
