The Gazette 1967/71

county court case he undertakes unless he can agree a higher fee with his client beforehand." He added that in his own practice overheads swall owed 73 per cent of gross earnings, and with county court work overheads were half as much again as the fees received. Mr. George Bates, public relations officer of the B.L.A., which was formed five years ago, said the association would have regard to existing clients. Details of how the "strike"' will operate will be worked out by the executive committee this month.

From The Daily Telegraph December 9, 1968. SCOTTISH LAWYERS TO QUIT AID LIST Daily Telegraph Reporter About 90 per cent of the lawyers who take part in the legal aid scheme in Glasgow courts have intimated their resignation from the Criminal Legal Aid List and this will take effect on January 2, 1969. And there are fears that this could spread to other district of Scotland. Unless there is a change of heart by the Secretary of State for Scotland criminal proceedings in the more important Glasgow courts will be disrupted. The withdrawal would effect: the High Court, Sheriff and jury trials, and Sheriff court cases. The lawyers oppose proposals contained in an amend ment to the 1964 Criminal Legal Aid Act which is to come into force on January 2. New System These give a presiding sheriff-substitute or judge power to decide whether or not fees payable for extra work preparing trials should be paid. In the past such pay ments were determined by the Law Society of Scotland. The Glasgow Bar Association has informed the Glas gow Legal Aid Committee and the Secretary of State for Scotland about the resignation. In a statement to trie Press last night the Glasgow Bar Association says: 'The association gravely fears that solicitors throughout Scotland will require seriously to reconsider their participation in the scheme for the same reasons." They say that the certificate referred to which is to be sought from the trial judge runs counter to basic tenets of justice and "will lead to confusion and uncer tainty and will, beyond question, involve serious practical difficulties." From The Times 17th March, 1969. SOLICITORS MAY 'STRIKE' IN FEES PROTEST From Our Correspondent—Bristol, March 16 County courts could become impossibly overburdened later in the year because solicitors may refuse to take cases. The British Legal Association, representing 2,500 solicitors, today announced plans for collective action in support of what they describe as a 15-year-old pay claim. Delegates at their annual meeting here decided unanimously that it would not be unprofessional to refuse to take new cases which they feel arc uneconomic or have to be subsidized by other work. In exceptional circumstances, they decided, it would also not be unprofessional to give up work already in hand for existing clients. Mr. Morris Williams, vice-chairman of the association said: "We have been forced to take this action. County court fees were set 15 years ago and are grossly out of date. Every single solicitor is losing money in every

From The Daily Telegraph 24th March, 1969.

SOLICITORS' VICTORY IN FEES FIGHT

By Our Legal Correspondent Solicitors have won a small but possibly significant tactical victory in their long and involved battle with Lord Gardiner, the Lord Chancellor, for higher fees for county court work. The County Court Rule Committee, the statutory body set up to fix county court fees, decided unanimously on Friday to work out proposals for new fee scales although the Government has referred solicitors" pay back to the Prices and Incomes Board. In its original report last year the board recommended a 55 per cent increase in county court fees, but said this should be balanced with reductions in fees for middle- price conveyancing. The Government insisted that the recommendations must be accepted as a package deal and delayed meet ings of the County Court Rule Committee and the Statutory Committee, which fixes conveyancing fees, to discuss new scales. 'No Right' The Law Society maintained that the Government has no constitutional right to fetter the committees in this way. It claimed that the committees should first decide appropriate scales which could then be accepted or rejected by the Government in the light of the Prices and Incomes Board report. Because of this deadlock a meeting of the County Court Committee in December was postponed. Since then the Government has made a standing reference of solicitor's pay to the P I B and a revised report is expected later this year. Discussions in the committee on how any revised increase recommended by the board should be appor tioned begins on April 25. The decision to go ahead reflects an apparent softening of the Government's firm stand against solicitors' demands. County court scales were last fixed 14 years ago and solicitors find that almost all the work in county courts is now uneconomic. Many have stopped taking county court cases and a growing number feel there should be collective strike action to force increases. The County Court Rule Committee consists of five county court judges, two barristers, two county court registrars and two solicitors, all appointed by the Lord Chancellor. Solicitors are the only profession whose charges are subject to the control of an outside body. 32