Advisers and mortgage brokers accused of fraud could struggle to find a qualified lawyer under government plans to reform legal aid.
Lawyers have warned that in complex cases allocating a defendant eligible for legal aid a non-specialist lawyer could jeopardise their access to a fair trial. Retired judge Sir Anthony Hooper told the Today programme robust lawyers were the main safeguard against innocent people being convicted. He said: “If I was arrested in Norwich on a complex fraud case I would be able under the present system to find solicitors in London or Manchester who specialise in complex fraud cases. Not now. Someone will turn up at the door and say ‘I’m representing you’.” RPC partner Simon Chandler, wh...
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