High Court Rules Former Justice Secretary's Pay Deal for Solicitors Unlawful

The ruling does not overturn the legal aid pay settlement, but puts pressure on the government to reconsider solicitors' pay rates in the legal aid system.

• High Court rules former Justice Secretary Dominic Raab acted unlawfully in the way he increased defence solicitors' pay by less than he had been advised to.
• The court decision does not overturn the legal aid pay settlement, but puts pressure on the government to reconsider the pay rates for solicitors in the legal aid system.
• According to the Law Society, 1,400 duty solicitors have quit since 2017 due to long-frozen legal aid rates, leading to 'deserts' in some parts of the country.
• The Law Society has called on the government to commit to a 15% rates rise for solicitors, which was recommended as the 'bare minimum needed' in an independent review.
• The Ministry of Justice stated that it will 'consider the judgement carefully' and highlighted that the claimants were successful only on specific narrow grounds.

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