SOLICITORS will be swapping the bench for the streets today to protest once again against the cuts to legal aid following their three weeks of boycotts.

Thousands of Britain’s lawyers have been refusing to process new legal aid work since July 1 in defiance against the government’s second 8.75 per cent cut to fees.

Supporters of the Save Legal Aid campaign, including members of the Criminal Bar Association, will be demonstrating outside Westminster magistrates’ court this morning.

Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers secretary Sam Parham told the Star: “Criminal barristers and solicitors have been forced to unite and take direct action against legal aid cuts which will devastate the criminal justice system.

“If current plans are implemented, many hundreds of solicitors’ firms will be forced out of business by a massive drop in the number of firms able to provide advice.

“Those that continue in business will face huge funding cuts. Some areas of the country are likely to become legal aid deserts with little or no quality provision.”

On Thursday several practitioner associations will be meeting up with Justice Secretary Michael Gove to discuss a reversal of the cuts.

Mr Parham said: “Gove will preside over an environment where the wealthy will still be able to afford top-quality representation whereas the rest will have to make do with a crippled legal aid system.”

Legal aid provides financial support to low income individuals in need of legal representation.

The boycotts have seen criminal solicitors and barristers declining to represent or cover for colleagues with diary clashes on their cases’ hearings.

Well-known legal firms such as Bindmans have been vocal supporters of the action.