Legal aid minister Vera Baird bravely entered the lion's den last week by accepting an invitation to a Young Legal Aid Lawyers' (YLAL) event in London. The meeting began with three luminaries delivering their closing speeches in defence of legal aid before a YLAL lawyer sitting as a judge.


Michael Mansfield QC described Lord Carter's market-based reforms as not about the community, but about the money saving opportunities of 'one case, one fee'. 'Or OCOF, which says it all.'



Solicitor June Venters QC was next up and was not put off by shouted contributions from the floor, although Ms Baird looked piqued to be told to reserve her comments until it was her turn to speak. Ms Venters said that 'solicitors are revolting' and that, on the vexed issue of fixed fees, she for one 'was not interested in swings and roundabouts - I'm a lawyer, not a fairground manager'.



A third silk, Edward Fitzgerald, tried some Churchillian oratory: 'We will fight them in the court rooms, we will fight them in Parliament...'



Ms Baird, whose ministerial duties meant that she had to leave early, battled back. She told delegates that 'no cuts' were planned for legal aid and that 'statistics show that 55% of cases were already being completed within the fixed-fee limits.' She also reminded the delegates: 'I'm paying you.' To which a chorus of voices replied: 'We're paying.'



Channel 4's Jon Snow wrapped up, praising YLAL for its planning - he was given four months' notice - but regretting the 'extraordinary gremlin that had crept into the ministerial diary system'.



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