Paris legal aid strike ; ;French lawyers last week mounted a one-day strike and took to the streets protesting against the countrys legal aid budget and to press for an increase in pay rates.

;Last week, lawyers around the country refused to attend court hearings.

A delegation of more than 4,000 lawyers also took to the streets and marched on the chancellors office in Paris demonstrating their frustration at what one described as ridiculous rates of pay.

Another day of action is planned for this week.

;Outside Paris, regional Bars have been involved in various forms of action.

It is understood that in some areas, lawyers have refused any court appearances for a number of weeks.

;Dominique de la Garanderie, the former batonnier of the Paris Bar, said that while lawyers were obliged to represent clients on legal aid, they were paid less than the minimum wage in France to do so.

;She said there were also problems with the French legal aid system in that there was no differentiation in rates of pay regardless of seniority.

;Laurent Petitjean, the Brussels representative of the French Bar, said French lawyers were fed up with being badly paid.

The amount that lawyers get is not enough for them to meet the costs of their overheads, he said.

;Bernard Vatier, also a former Paris Bar batonnier, said French lawyers were also pressing for changes to taxation laws to reduce the amount of VAT paid by individuals on legal fees which, he said, would improve access to justice.

;Sue Allen