http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... l-aid.html


And why shouldn't they? They are legally private firms. Nothing states that they should be paid considerably less. Secondly without representation the numbers of criminals getting released because of inability to proceed to trial will annoy the public.

A tough one, afterall everybody has the right to a fair trial, how do you find a balance between cost and fairness?

Make barristers give 10% of their time for free to people who can't afford it. No 10%, no license to practice law.
A 10% drop in income will still make them richer than 99% of the population.

How do you know they don't already? Every lawyer I know personally does pro-bono work, and I'm lead to believe that a lot of other lawyers do too.

Of course lawyer's fees aren't the only costs involved in a case, not by a long shot.

I agree. You cant just pick on the lawyers because they earn too much. If you have a run in with the law then you need a decent criminal defence lawyer.

I think as well, people aren't also aware of how difficult it is to get into law in the first place. You normally spend a couple of years earning either nothing or a pittance in order to get into a chambers.

Then add in student debts.