Legal aid fee rise sought
PA Wellington A case for an increase in the fees paid to lawyers undertaking legal aid assignments has been made to the Minister of Justice (Mr McLay). The case was put by the president of the Law Society. Mr Bruce Slane. in a meeting with the Minister. Mr Slane said that he had asked for an urgent increase in the fees. "The present situation cannot be allowed to continue," he said.
Lawyers were being paid about a quarter of the rate paid to Crown solicitors for similar work. "There used to be no difference in the pay." he said. “In 1972 the legal aid lau-yer got 87 per cent of the rate paid prosecutors. Since then, the proportion has deteriorated because of the failure of the Government to
keep rates up to date while a long and detailed report on legal aid and access to the law was being researched." Mr Slane said he was satisfied that the Minister
had a full understanding of the financial situation in which a number of lawyers had been placed, in continuing to undertake legal aid assignments.
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Press, 7 June 1982, Page 5
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188Legal aid fee rise sought Press, 7 June 1982, Page 5
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