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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Tristan Kirk

Law firms warn of exodus from criminal justice system in legal aid feud with government

Legal Aid the Ministry of Justice
The case was heard at the Royal Courts of Justice (Andrew Matthews/PA) - (PA Archive)

Dozens of law firms have warned they could withdraw from legal aid work within months, plunging the criminal justice system into a fresh crisis, as the government continues to stall on a new pay deal.

The Ministry of Justice failed to deliver a 15 per cent increase in fees for criminal defence solicitors, and lost a High Court battle in January over the dispute.

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