Written By Jack J Collins, Editor, AllAboutLaw.co.uk

Bar Council responds to LSB on McKenzie risks

Written By Jack J Collins, Editor, AllAboutLaw.co.uk

Given the Legal Standards Board’s statement recently supporting the use of paid McKenzie Friends, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, the Chairman of the Bar, has confirmed the Bar Council’s position.

She has stated that it remains dangerous to have unregulated, unqualified and uninsured individuals who are being paid to help court petitioners, and that there were serious risks involved with the whole process.

“The Bar Council and other legal professionals have consistently made the case that access to justice is integral to a democratic, civil society and it should come as no surprise that legal aid cuts excluded significant numbers of people from accessing legal advice or representation,” she said.

“The solution to Government legal aid cuts, however, is not to allow untrained, unregulated, and uninsured McKenzie Friends to undertake reserved legal activities, such as rights of audience before the courts, and to charge for these services. I disagree with the Legal Services Board's statement today that the case has not been made for an outright ban on fee charging McKenzie Friends.

“Some paid McKenzie Friends charge as much as £125 an hour. Many members of the junior Bar, for example, will charge around £90 an hour, and all have completed a minimum of five year’s study, including 120 hours of advocacy training and a year of working under close supervision of a senior colleague, as well as being insured and regulated. Those who instruct a paid McKenzie friend would be better off employing a junior barrister or solicitor.”

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