Legal News

The Legal Aid Minister Shailesh Vara has announced proposals for a new statutory ban on referral fees in criminal cases.

Referral fees are paid by an advocate – such as a solicitor advocate or barrister – in exchange for instruction from a solicitor to enable them to represent a client in court.

There are concerns that referral fees are being abused by firms who refer clients to advocates with whom they have a financial relationship – potentially
denying clients any choice in who represents them, or in the quality of the advocate.

On Thursday (01/10/15), the government launched a consultation on changing the law to crack down on referral fees in criminal cases.

The government is also seeking views on how to better identify and prevent the practice of referral fees which are “disguised”.

The consultation proposes the establishment of a panel of publicly funded criminal defence advocates – only advocates on the panel would be able to secure criminal Legal Aid work.

Shailesh Vara said:

“This government is determined to ensure we continue to have vibrant and effective advocacy in our courts. That is why we cancelled proposed cuts to criminal Legal Aid for barristers earlier this year – and today we are going further.

“The payment of referral fees to secure instruction is unacceptable – which is why we want to change the law in order to tackle this issue.

“The guiding principle in advising clients on their choice of advocate must always be the competence and experience of the advocate, rather than their willingness to pay a referral fee.”

Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers

Duncan Lewis can advise at any stage of a criminal charge – and our criminal defence team is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and more than 20 across London and the southeast.

A criminal defence solicitor can usually reach a police station within an hour for police interview under caution – and Duncan Lewis is a leading provider of Legal Aid criminal defence services.

Duncan Lewis represents clients at Magistrates’ Courts, Crown Courts, and at Appeal Courts such as the Court of Appeal – and has highly experienced Higher Court Advocates with a background in conducting serious matters such as murder and rape.

For expert legal advice on criminal charges, call Duncan Lewis crime lawyers on 020 7923 4020.

For 24/7 help at a police station, call the Duncan Lewis Emergency Hotline on 020 7275 2036.