The Law Society has welcomed the announcement of a Justice Select Committee hearing into the government's proposals for price-based competitive tendering of criminal legal aid services.
The Committee will consider written evidence and oral evidence from the Law Society and other representative bodies on 11 June.
Desmond Hudson, Law Society chief executive said:
'We consider the government's preferred approach to be unviable, unachievable and potentially unlawful.
'From the day the government announced its ill-advised proposals, we have pressed for them to be properly examined by the Justice Select Committee. I understand that the Committee's focus will be on economic viability and particularly on the issue of defendants' choice of solicitor - which the proposals would fundamentally undermine. We will provide a wealth of information to inform the Committee's deliberations.'
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About the Law Society of England and Wales
The Law Society is the independent professional body, established for solicitors in 1825, that works globally to support and represent its members, promoting the highest professional standards and the rule of law.
Press contact
Catherine Reed
Press Officer
+44 (0)20 7320 5902
Catherine.reed@lawsociety.org.uk