GET 24/7 LEGAL ADVICE

020 7387 2032

old baileyA judge in Southwark Crown Court has taken the highly unusual step of halting the trial of a serious fraud case after legal aid cuts meant that the defendants were unable to obtain adequate representation, reports the BBC.

The situation arose because barristers are currently in dispute with the Government over the introduction of 30% cuts to legal aid fees, and as a result many are refusing to take on complex cases.

The case in question was a highly complex one that had been brought by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) against a group of men who were accused of running a fraudulent land banking scheme. The evidence involved in the case was described by the judge as “complex and substantial”, and the relevant documentation amounted to over 46,000 pages.

Solicitors representing the defendants had apparently contacted 70 different chambers in an attempt to find barristers to represent them, but were unsuccessful.

The judge commented that “to allow the State an adjournment to put right its failure to provide the necessary resources to permit a fair trial to take place now amounts to a violation of the process of this court.”

He therefore announced his decision to halt proceedings against the defendants.

The FCA recently announced that it will be seeking leave to appeal against the ruling.

Contact Lewis Nedas’ Fraud Lawyers in London

For specialist legal advice on defending fraud charges, please contact our criminal defence solicitors on 020 7387 2032 or complete our online enquiry form here.

This blog post is intended as a news item only - no connection between Lewis Nedas and the parties concerned is intended or implied.


We are happy to help

Get 24/7 Legal Advice, call

020 7387 2032

“I was put in touch with Lewis Nedas Law through a mutual friend and I was not disappointed. The team were nothing but straight forward, honest and realistic about the nature of my case and the expected outcome from the minute I got in contact and were willing to take over from the previous company at very short notice. With their unrivalled experience and expertise in their profession the outcome was even better than expected and I couldn’t recommend them enough.”


contact

Please let us know your name.
Please let us know your email address.
Please enter a valid phone number
Invalid Input
Please let us know your message.
GDPR Agreement - I consent to the information supplied above to be stored on this website so that Lewis Nedas Law can respond to my enquiry.
Invalid Input

Accreditations and Awards

  • Legal 500 uk leading firm 2024
  • The Times Best Law Firms 2024
  • Legal 500 uk leading firm 2022 50x73
  • The Times Best Law Firms 2022
  • Google 5 stars