ROBED barristers in Michael Gove masks stood outside London’s Westminster magistrates’ court protesting against further cuts to legal aid yesterday.

Lawyers were piling on the pressure for the Justice Secretary to axe the cuts before his much-anticipated meeting with the main legal practitioners’ associations today.

Former legal aid recipients such as disabled part-time worker Tina Pelttari joined the demo.

Ms Pelttari told the Star: “Without legal aid I would be homeless and surely dead.

“My legal aid solicitor, who’s done an incredible amount of work for me, kept me from being evicted from temporary shelter for several years after I was evicted from my privately rented accommodation.

“Without his help I wouldn’t be in the private accommodation I am now.

“So you could say that access to legal aid quite literally has saved my life.”

Outside the court, speakers from several legal firms including London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association president Jon Black praised the legal aid boycott launched on July 1.

The government is planning to slash solicitors’ criminal legal aid rates by a further 8.75 per cent.

Garden Court Chambers barrister Joanne Cecil told the crowd that the court system was “broken,” with buildings lacking the necessary staff or equipment.

“I deal with very serious crimes with very vulnerable complainants and very vulnerable defendants,” she said.

“All those victims or defendants come to court and nothing happens.

“You end up with this situation where because that trial doesn’t take place a new trial date gets set and that trial date might be next August.

“Cases are being heard two, three years after the incident has taken place.

“That’s really important when you have vulnerable victims who often are not taking counselling or anything of that nature in between because of the impact it may have.

“Children just forget things and how are they supposed to deal with these things and move forward?”