In a quietly released Ministerial Statement today Ken Clarke, Lord Chancellor has announced the
postponement of the proposed Legal Aid reforms currently going through the House of Lords until April 2013 at the earliest. If approved by the Upper House (or amended) the proposed reforms were due to be implemented in October 2012, part of the reasoning appears to be in light of the new business structures which legal firms can now enter into, competitive price tendering and giving firms more time to adjust.
This announcement may give some modicum of relief to those practitioners at the sharp end of practice - however it is just a delay at this stage. It can only be hoped that a longer period of time for reflection on the impact of the proposals may help persuade the Government of an alternative course. The reduction in fees of 10% will still be implemented as planned next year.
Read the full ministerial statement here:
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-vote-office/9.Justice-LegalAidReform.pdf
postponement of the proposed Legal Aid reforms currently going through the House of Lords until April 2013 at the earliest. If approved by the Upper House (or amended) the proposed reforms were due to be implemented in October 2012, part of the reasoning appears to be in light of the new business structures which legal firms can now enter into, competitive price tendering and giving firms more time to adjust.
This announcement may give some modicum of relief to those practitioners at the sharp end of practice - however it is just a delay at this stage. It can only be hoped that a longer period of time for reflection on the impact of the proposals may help persuade the Government of an alternative course. The reduction in fees of 10% will still be implemented as planned next year.
Read the full ministerial statement here:
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-vote-office/9.Justice-LegalAidReform.pdf
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