MoJ has 'no further fat to cut' from legal aid

Plans announced by the Chancellor George Osbourne to slash the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) budget by £249m is to be welcomed by lawyers, as long as no further cuts are made to legal aid.

Yesterday, Osbourne, pictured, ordered £3bn in cuts for unprotected departments this financial year, ahead of deeper cuts to be announced in the July Budget.

The cuts are said to equivalent to around 3 per cent of current departmental budgets.

While details of the departmental savings have yet to be finalised, the MoJ has confirmed that further cuts to legal aid did not form part of the package.

The MoJ has said that £105m will be saved by changing the timing of capital projects.

In addition, £144m will be saved by cutting travel, overtime, as well as £58m by cutting the use of consultants or agency staff and renegotiating contracts.

Jonathan Black, president of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association (LCCSA), and partner at BSB Solicitors, said: 'We are hopeful this is the Lord Chancellor acknowledging that the savings sought from legal aid have already been made and that there is no further fat to cut.

'It has, over the last few years, been noted the extent to which public funds have been wasted on consultants and external contracts. We are therefore pleased that it has been recognised where the real cost and wastage in the MoJ's budget goes.

'No number of external consultants can remove barriers to access to justice or create efficiencies in the justice system to save costs.'

A MoJ spokesperson said: 'The department is committed to playing its part in the government's deficit reduction plans and delivering significant savings for the taxpayer.

'Following the chancellor's request to find additional in-year savings, we have put together a package that will enable us to drive underspends and efficiencies across the department, including savings from commercial contract negotiations.'

'The chancellor will announce the summer budget on 8th July.'

John van der Luit-Drummond is deputy editor for Solicitors Journal
john.vanderluit@solicitorsjournal.co.uk | @JvdLD