Legal Aid training grants axed

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) this week axed a grant scheme that helps fund the training of aspiring legal aid solicitors.  Legal aid minister Jonathan Djanogly said £2.6m a year could be saved by suspending the scheme.  The cut is just one of many made by the new coalition Government in its effort to improve the economy. 

The scheme, started in 2002 to provide a financial inducement to attract more young legal aid lawyers, has already benefitted more than 750 trainees in legal aid work to the tune of more than £20k each, covering training fees and salaries.   The MoJ said trainees who are already being funded under the scheme will not be affected.

A MoJ spokesperson said the financial inducements no longer made economic sense.  On its website, the Legal Services Commission states: “Unfortunately, we have taken the decision not to award training grants this year. Coming at a time when legal aid has to bear its share of the cuts across the whole public sector, we cannot continue to sustain the scheme at this time.”