Criminal legal aid revolt
Discussion
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/criminal-legal-a...
ompetitive tendering: practitioner groups warn that solicitors will refuse to sign contracts
The battle over competitive tendering in criminal defence work is escalating, with practitioner groups predicting that solicitors will refuse to sign new legal aid agreements that are based on the proposals.
The rebellion broke out at a meeting in London last week, hosted by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) and the Legal Action Group, which also included speakers representing the London Criminal Court Solicitors Association (LCCSA) and the Black Solicitors Network (BSN).
LAPG director Richard Miller said many firms faced bankruptcy because they will make 'suicidal bids' over fears of being undercut by others in the bidding process. 'We are considering rejecting the idea [of tendering] altogether,' he warned.
BSN vice-chairman Peter Bonner said its members had 'never felt as threatened', and agreed: 'We reject these proposals in their entirety'.
Brian Craig, head of the newly formed Association of Major Criminal Law Firms, suggested that the Legal Services Commission's (LSC) timetable for competitive tendering 'will never be achieved'.
But Rob Brown, immediate past president of the LCCSA, speaking after the meeting, said timing was no longer an issue. 'It doesn't matter what the timetable is because people won't sign,' he said. 'The profession doesn't want it and it won't have it.'
Also speaking after the meeting, Criminal Law Solicitors Association director Rodney Warren said it could not see solicitors ever backing the proposals. 'The LSC would be wrong to expect that the profession will sign up to competitive tendering just because it intends to go ahead with it,' he said. 'There has got to be discussion about a better way, but competitive tendering won't work in market terms or on any other basis.'
Found this on a TV program.
Perhaps our gents with Wigs might like to explain, why the legal bods are revolting, ( or course we know thy are, but in a really nice way) .
ompetitive tendering: practitioner groups warn that solicitors will refuse to sign contracts
The battle over competitive tendering in criminal defence work is escalating, with practitioner groups predicting that solicitors will refuse to sign new legal aid agreements that are based on the proposals.
The rebellion broke out at a meeting in London last week, hosted by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) and the Legal Action Group, which also included speakers representing the London Criminal Court Solicitors Association (LCCSA) and the Black Solicitors Network (BSN).
LAPG director Richard Miller said many firms faced bankruptcy because they will make 'suicidal bids' over fears of being undercut by others in the bidding process. 'We are considering rejecting the idea [of tendering] altogether,' he warned.
BSN vice-chairman Peter Bonner said its members had 'never felt as threatened', and agreed: 'We reject these proposals in their entirety'.
Brian Craig, head of the newly formed Association of Major Criminal Law Firms, suggested that the Legal Services Commission's (LSC) timetable for competitive tendering 'will never be achieved'.
But Rob Brown, immediate past president of the LCCSA, speaking after the meeting, said timing was no longer an issue. 'It doesn't matter what the timetable is because people won't sign,' he said. 'The profession doesn't want it and it won't have it.'
Also speaking after the meeting, Criminal Law Solicitors Association director Rodney Warren said it could not see solicitors ever backing the proposals. 'The LSC would be wrong to expect that the profession will sign up to competitive tendering just because it intends to go ahead with it,' he said. 'There has got to be discussion about a better way, but competitive tendering won't work in market terms or on any other basis.'
Found this on a TV program.
Perhaps our gents with Wigs might like to explain, why the legal bods are revolting, ( or course we know thy are, but in a really nice way) .
A Tweet by the Secret Barrister about Shailesh Vara who worked with Chris Grayling on the Legal Aid reforms. Seems Shailesh Vara may've used something similar to Man Maths:
https://twitter.com/BarristerSecret/status/1062989...
https://twitter.com/BarristerSecret/status/1062989...
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