LSC chief in warning over legal aid pay snub

The head of the Legal Services Commission (LSC) acknowledged this week that he has fears over the impact on publicly funded work of the Lord Chancellor's decision earlier this month not to give legal aid solicitors a pay rise.

Chief executive Steve Orchard put himself in potential conflict with the government after it emerged that the decision dashed the LSC's hopes - laid out in its corporate plan - to increase basic rates of remuneration this autumn.

Mr Orchard said: 'We are of course disappointed at the decision not to increase rates, although we do understand the background to it.

We are concerned about the potential impact on both the Community Legal Service and the Criminal Defence Service, and we will keep the position under review and report to the Lord Chancellor regularly.'

Rodney Warren, chairman of both the Law Society's access to justice working party and Criminal Law Solicitors Association, welcomed Mr Orchard's recognition of the problem.

'We hope the LSC can join with us in persuading the Lord Chancellor that if a very valuable public service is to be preserved, there must be an increase in funding,' he said.

Richard Miller, director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, said: 'We welcome this statement from Mr Orchard, and believe this reflects our view that increases are needed and that there are problems which need to be kept under review.'

A Lord Chancellor's Department spokesman said it took into account the LSC's views.

'However, the government has to weigh these arguments against the resources available to it from the public purse,' he added.

'We have continuing discussions with the professional bodies on these issues.'

Paula Rohan