A victory for common sense

Some might suggest that it is a rare day when common sense wins in negotiations between the legal profession and a government body.

This week's news that the Legal Services Commission will extend talks on the proposed criminal contracts, and has agreed quickly to issue the rates of remuneration in those contracts - enabling criminal law specialist solicitors to call off their 'day of rest' - is one such day.

Let us hope the commission will honour its word and settle the most contentious issue surrounding the contracts - solicitors' pay rates.

Expecting any service provider to sign up to a contract which was silent on the issue of fees is irrational.

In this case, both the lawyers as the service providers and the taxpayers as the ultimate paymaster have a right to know what the rates will be.

The commission has acknowledged that it was a clanging mistake not to address the issue much earlier.

Specialist criminal practitioners rightly consider themselves to be in the front line of an extremely hard-pressed area of legal practice.

But the LSC's move illustrates that they are in a position of some strength.

Perhaps the commission and the government are beginning to realise that criminal legal aid cannot be successfully reformed without them.