A fortnight ago we posed the following question to the Government
And you only instruct Junior Counsel at Legal Aid rates?
Today we received something of an answer.
First forget the issue of the rates; they are still higher than most Legal Aid, are not standard fees and the CV and fee enhancement of being on the panel is not factored in.
Concentrate on:
“vastly more varied and complex” than Legal Aid work
and
“best quality legal support at a cost that provides real value for money”
I would contest the former but think the latter well describes the current Legal Aid scheme (perhaps substituting “astonishing” for “real”).
The thing is they are content do away with the latter for Legal Aid clients whilst, I imagine, continuing to seek “best quality” for themselves.
