SOLICITORS and barristers are gathering in Chester today to discuss proposed Legal Aid cuts amid fears some law firms could go bust.

Lawyers from Chester and North Wales are meeting at the 1539 restaurant at Chester racecourse to debate the implications of slashing the Legal Aid budget by £220m.

Among the proposed changes to the criminal justice system are plans for lawyers to start effectively ‘bidding’ for Legal Aid cases.

Critics say this will not only reduce the options available to defendants in choosing their lawyer but will jeopardise the opportunities for smaller firms to compete.

Michael Gray, partner in Chester-based Gray and Co Solicitors, voiced his concerns to the Lord Chancellor himself.

He wrote: “I fail to see how competitive tendering provides an answer. This is not a business where profit is all.

“The work and expertise required is not to be underestimated. It seems to me that politicians and civil servants are out of touch with what is happening in reality in the precincts of court buildings and police stations throughout the country.”

Mr Gray says the government will be encouraging ‘quantity over quality’ when it comes to defending some of society’s most vulnerable people.

He added: “Cases are poorly prepared now due to lack of resources – there has never been a greater need to have an effective defence as a safeguard to prevent miscarriages of justice. Parallels can be made with the NHS where unchecked pressure on resources has led to systemic failure.”

Other proposed changes to Legal Aid involve criminal defendants being stopped from automatically accessing legal aid if they live in households with a disposable income of £37,500 or more.