Solicitors and barristers will refuse to take on new criminal cases in protest at latest fee cuts

Some solicitors and barristers have said they will refuse to take on new criminal cases in protest at the government's decision to cut legal aid fees for criminal cases by a further 8.75%.

At present the protest is localised to Liverpool, where The Guardian reports that approximately 100 criminal solicitors and barristers have agreed to take direct action against the second fees reduction in a year, following a sweeping17.5% cut in 2014. However, the paper also reports that lawyers across the country will be meeting next week to discuss the possibility of similar action, including in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Durham, Northampton and Newcastle. For many criminal practitioners, the situation is becoming desperate.

At their meeting, the Merseyside lawyers resolved: "The government recognises that the profession is fragile and yet continues to take grave risks with the stability of the criminal justice system. Every chambers in the city and the vast majority of solicitors were represented … similar meetings are being held around the country."