What would happen if all legal aid lawyers - whether civil or criminal - took a leaf from the French doctors' book and decided to enjoy a well-deserved holiday all at the same time, for example, between Monday and Friday, the third week in June?

Would the magistrates', county and High Courts notice? Would the judiciary or the media care? Would we all have the nerve to stick together for once - in the absence of any


co-ordinated action proposed by those who purportedly lead us - and exit our offices for a week, leaving no one at our desks in a once-and-for-all protest at the removal and reduction of access to justice for the most impoverished in our society, and the continuous erosion of proper payment for what is very hard work?


It seems to me to be infinitely preferable to the slow but sure exit of dedicated and quality lawyers and their practices from the publicly funded sector whether because of the proposed scheme for criminal competitive tendering or actual fixed fees for controlled work. Or perhaps Lord Falconer wants us all working for the Legal Services Commission on nothing more than the minimum wage.


Would any other profession accept, so quietly, such an iniquitous state of affairs? French doctors didn't when their government let them down - and we shouldn't either.


Beverley Rockliff, Porter Dodson, Yeovil, Somerset