The morale of the publicly funded bar is at ‘rock bottom’ and careers advisers are telling would-be barristers to steer clear of legal aid, according to the bar’s chief.

Speaking at a debate on legal aid, Desmond Browne QC said barristers around the country are ‘totally demoralised’ due to pressures in relation to fees, competition and uncertainty over proposed reforms.

He said the best barometer of this is the decline in the number of pupillages on offer this autumn in chambers doing publicly funded work. In Birmingham, he said, they were ‘non-existent’.

Browne said the number of able young people who want to come to the bar and do legal aid work had not diminished, but they are being deterred by tutors and careers advisers.

Browne was addressing the all-party parliamentary group for legal and constitutional affairs. Legal aid minister Lord Bach and Law Society president Paul Marsh also contributed. Only two peers and no MPs attended the debate.