Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Government has scrapped major cuts to the criminal legal aid system in England and Wales, it has announced.
Justice Secretary Michael Gove said he had decided not to go ahead with the plan, which was drawn up by his predecessor Chris Grayling.
The proposals, to reduce legal aid fees by 8.75 per cent and cut duty solicitors at magistrates’ courts and police stations by two thirds, were highly criticised by the legal profession.
Mr Gove cited 99 separate legal challenges against the policy and more funding from the Treasury allowing “greater flexibility” with legal aid as the reason for the U-turn.
“By not pressing ahead with dual contracting, and suspending the fee cut, at this stage we will, I hope, make it easier in all circumstances for litigators to instruct the best advocates, enhancing the quality of representation in our courts,” Mr Gove said.
Cuts of 8.75 per cent to legal aid have already been introduced in March 2014 and this round of reductions would have been the second wave.
Last summer solicitors and barristers held 52 days of industrial action against the proposed policy.
The shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer accused the Government of wasting money on the enterprise.
“This is a staggering admission from the Tory government and represents a final confirmation that their plans to reform criminal legal aid have descended into utter chaos,” he said.
“The Government must now come clean about how much public money has been wasted on this doomed endeavour, so that ministers can be held fully accountable for this fiasco.”
The policy is one of a number of proposals scrapped by Mr Gove that were introduced by his predecessor.
The Justice Secretary also cancelled a contract to run the Saudi Arabian prison system and reversed a ban on prisoners being sent books in prison.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments