The Bar Council last week raised the stakes in its dispute with the government over fees for legally aided criminal defence work by setting a deadline of the middle of next month for action to be taken.

In a letter to the Lord Chancellor, Bar Council chairman Guy Mansfield QC gave the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) until 14 July to begin a review of the graduated fee system. The review was promised a year ago, but has yet to happen. Mr Mansfield said: 'The response of individual practitioners to the failure to produce a review will be anger and despair.'


The council cannot call on its members to take action collectively; to do so would breach competition laws. A DCA spokeswoman insisted it would hold a review shortly.