The government has been attacked by lawyers across the board for trying to suppress a report that criticises the swingeing reforms planned for legal aid.
The Otterburn report into the Lord Carter’s proposals for overhauling legal aid urges the government to slow the pace of reform because of the risk that high street solicitors may be severely damaged along with access to justice.
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) released the report, The Impact on the Supplier Base of Reductions in Criminal Fees from April 2007, this week after the Lord Chancellor was challenged by the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee in February. Falconer apologised for the delay but the report was still withheld for a further two weeks.
Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association chair, Ian Kelcey, says: “It is an utter disgrace that the LSC have suppressed it until now while it moves on apace with its proposals which Otterburn is critical of…this will ensure the LSC is totally distrusted by the profession. If the LSC proceeds with the current proposals at its desired pace we will have few criminal defence practices,
