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John Timbrell, please don't comment in a forum read by lawyers and talk about habeus corpus, which you don't seem to understand, as it just makes you look silly. Habeus corpus is alive and well (CPR pt 87 thank you for asking).

On the actual topic, I agree with what others have said that removing a compulsory minimum was bound to lead to lower salaries, as is having more competition in the market. Solicitors are running businesses and if you can get quality trainees for less, you would. But there in lies the rub - will you get quality trainees, or will you only get the ones who can afford to live on less than the recommended minimum? I had two training contracts offers (admittedly this was early 90s) - one for the minimum, and one for more than minimum. No prizes for guessing which one I chose!

Times are hard for the firms and trainees, and even the recommended minimum would be difficult to live on for some, but making it compulsory might allow for a slightly broader solicitor base, while still leaving firms plenty of scope to pay according to their market conditions.