One minute protest

Solicitors and barristers across the country will pause for one minute at exactly 9.59am on 4 June, before court proceedings begin, to draw attention to proposed changes to criminal legal aid. The one minute protest has been organised by duty solicitor Rachel Bentley, partner at Exeter firm Trinity Advocates, and is backed by the Law Society. Lawyers have expressed concerns about government plans for price-competitive tendering of criminal legal aid contracts, which many fear will reduce the quality of representation.