The proposed cuts, drawn up by former justice secretary Chris Grayling, involved plans to significantly reduce the number of law firms allowed to do Criminal Legal Aid work at police stations and Magistrates Courts together with a reduction in Legal Aid fees.
The MOJ faced 99 separate legal challenges over the proposed plans which would have led to expensive litigation and further uncertainty had the policy not been ditched.
Solicitors and barristers all over the country had expressed concern that large areas of the country and some of the most vulnerable members of society would have been left without adequate access to legal representation. Those concerns led to weeks and months of strikes and protests.
Our criminal legal aid solicitors at Lawson and Thompson work very hard to ensure that anyone accused of wrong doing has access to expert legal advice 24 hours a day. We are delighted that we can continue to get on and do what we do best without the uncertainty posed by the competitive tendering process.