Hi °C | Lo °C The Northern Ireland Court Service has defended its efforts to cut millions from legal aid spending.
Several barristers have withdrawn from court cases recently arguing that fees of more than £150 an hour are not enough.
Legal aid is paid by the Government on behalf of those who cannot afford lawyers themselves.
Court Service head of legal services Robert Crawford gave evidence to Stormont's Justice Committee yesterday.
“The comparator with the hospital consultant or the dentist or the school teacher is not as inappropriate as has been suggested,” he said. A hospital consultant earns up to £175,000 a year yet some barristers earned up to £750,000 a year.
The Court Service said the cost of legal aid in Northern Ireland is too high. It has introduced a system where barristers must claim for the amount of hourly work they do.
Service head David Lavery said there should be a review of the legal aid system.
“A root and branch review would provide the opportunity to reposition publicly funded legal services in Northern Ireland in a way that better meets the requirements of devolution,” he added.
