LSC under fire for levels of salaried defence service pay

The Legal Services Commission came under renewed attack this week after publishing salary details for those joining the pilot salaried defence service (SDS).Advertisements appearing this week in the Gazette and Times legal supplement, show that three-year qualified solicitors can expect to earn up to 30,000 a year.

Accredited police station representatives will be paid between 20,000 and 25,000, with higher salaries for exceptional candidates.

An indexed-linked pension, 'generous holidays' and an out-of-hours call-out payment are also on offer.

Birmingham, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Swansea were named as the first four centres for the SDS pilot projects.

Average salaries for criminal solicitors in Birmingham and Liverpool are said to be around 25,000 to 27,000, and 20,000 to 25,000 in Swansea.

Police station representatives average 15,000, with a top end of 20,000, in private practice.

Criminal Law Solicitors Association chairman Franklin Sinclair said it was 'quite clear' that private firms would be unable to compete on salaries and benefits.

'It confirms what we have thought all along, that it is an underhand way to destroy us'.Rodney Warren, Law Society's access to justice working party chairman, agreed that the salaries were 'much greater' than private practitioners could afford to pay.

Legal Aid Practitioner Group acting director Richard Miller said the differential in pay would make it harder for firms to retain staff.

'It also highlights our concern that practitioners will not be playing on a level playing field,' he added.A commission spokeswoman said: 'The salaries are in line with what you would expect given the level of experience required.

They are completely consistent with advertisements placed in the Gazette.'See advertisement, page 93Sue Allen