Criminal law solicitors call for QASA boycott

The Criminal Law Solicitors Association (CLSA) is calling on solicitor advocates not to sign up for QASA, Solicitors Journal can reveal.

Registration for the quality assurance scheme, backed by the legal regulators, began this week. Barristers on the Midlands and Western circuits, the first to be involved, have already decided to boycott the scheme.

Bill Waddington, chairman of the CLSA, said: "We as an association take the view that this is yet another piece of unnecessary regulatory nonsense. There is no need for it.

"Our arguments are very similar to those put forward by the Bar."

At a meeting organised by the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association (LCCSA) earlier this week, around 400 barristers and solicitors passed a motion calling on advocates not to sign up for QASA "in any shape or form".

Law Society chief executive Des Hudson was heckled at the meeting when he attempted to defend the Law Society's deal with justice secretary Chris Grayling.

Grayling agreed to abandon price-competitive tendering but later announced a 17.5 per cent fee cut for criminal legal aid lawyers.

Waddington said Hudson was standing up and speaking when there were cries of "shame, shame, shame", so he sat down.

"Des was at the end of what he was saying," Waddington said. "I'm sure he will have heard that kind of thing quite a bit on road-shows around the country."

Carol Storer (pictured), director of the LAPG, who chaired the meeting, said a motion was passed calling on the representative groups to decide on what kind of direct action they wanted to stage in response to the cuts.

"People are absolutely furious," Storer said. "Nobody thinks you can deliver a quality service, for this kind of money.

"The fee cuts for some people could end up being much higher than 17.5 per cent."

Storer said that the cut in fees for lower level work in London could end up as high as 34.4 per cent.

Solicitors and barristers in Wales are also rising against the cuts, with a meeting next week in the country's three main Crown Courts, connected by video link.

Mark Davies, director of Goldstones in Swansea, said they would meet in the main court rooms in Cardiff, Swansea and Mold, and attempt to hold a single meeting.

Davies said he expected hundreds of lawyers to turn up as the cuts in Wales were "as bad as anywhere".

The move follows comments by Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates (SAHCA) last week opposing QASA.

Joint secretary Flora Page told Solicitors Journal that SAHCA would welcome the collapse of the scheme, but has not told members not to sign.