It’s good to talk…………….to your staff
It is highly likely that your staff will have some idea about BVT and the MOJ consultation, or more likely a good idea that their jobs are under threat. That is no bad thing, as good staff should, and already probably do act as an ambassador not only for your own firm, but for the profession generally.
But, have you held a meeting and explained what is going on and why it is bad, not only for them but for access to justice generally?
If not, consider doing so. Informed members of staff will take the message to their own friends and family – the more people who are talking about what is going on the better.
Make sure that they are empowered by information and good argument, and ask them to make personal contact with their MP.
Key messages
- Jobs are at risk
- BVT is not a “done deal”, the LSC have already shifted considerably, and if we push they may scrap the idea
- The MOJ consultation is potentially worse than BVT and may well push firms on the edge of profitability to close with consequent loss of jobs
- Your help IS needed – lawyers can be seen as ‘fat cats’ and self-serving, no-one goes on to think about the staff that are employed as well
Members of Parliament
We know that the ‘footfall’ from MP’s to Ministers can soon be felt not only by the MOJ by the Legal Services Commission. While an MP may not publicly wish to be seen fighting against government policy the position in private can often be very different.
The traditional approach has been to send pro-forma letters, but this in itself is unlikely to impress upon your representative the importance of the matter in hand – and may even suggest that you cannot be all that bothered about it either.
We therefore recommend that you:
- Seek an appointment to see as many members of parliament as you are properly able. By that we mean (a) the MP for the constituency in which your office is based, and (b) the MP for the constituency in which you live if that is different.
- Impress upon each and every partner and employee the importance of doing the same.
- Impress upon each person you have discussions with that they should do the same – so if you speak to local JP’s for example, respectfully suggest this as a means of passing the message on.
Your MP will not be interested in your own personal plight and may respond that there will always, regrettably be those that lose out. However, what your MP will find harder to deal with is the prospect of:
- Reduction in access to justice in his community with the loss of firms serving the most vulnerable in society
- Significant job losses in his constituency (Those job losses not just hitting supposedly well to do solicitors, but also your trainees (the legal aid lawyers of the future), juniors, support staff, cleaners and all of the people who rely on your business – so the people who sell stationary, the sandwich shop around the corner. You much press the point that we are an important part of their local economy.
- The supposed “savings” from BVT and cuts in rates under the MOJ consultation take no account of the cost of benefits – the loss of homes, and the personal devastation that comes from bankruptcy.
Obtain media coverage
Befriend your local reporter and feed them something to publish.
Of course, they do not really care about you, but they do care about your staff facing redundancy. The greater the number, the greater the impact. You might like to get together with a few local firms (as the numbers involved will then be larger) and speak about the “looming redundancies”.
Have you had any miscarriage of justice stories in your locality – if so then exploit them, e.g. “Birmingham solicitors fear a “Birmingham 6000” as government threatens access to good legal defence”.
You get the idea!
Key messages
- Jobs under threat
- Civil liberties at risk
Your audience:
- Local press (don’t forget the free papers)
- Regional press
- Local radio and TV
- Sky news
- News websites – many local ones have bulletin or comment boards, you will get the usual idiot criticism but in fact it presents a good opportunity to set the record straight
D R A F T L E T T E R T O M P
Dear
I work for ? Solicitors who have an office in your constituency and practise Criminal Defence work.
A substantial amount of this work is publicly funded as many of our clients are dependent on state benefits; they comprise socially excluded groups including people with mental health difficulties and other vulnerable individuals and children.
We have had offices in this area for many years and employ many staff from the locality who have served our firm for some time.
The Ministry of Justice have recently launched a consultation on proposals to slash fees for Criminal Defence Practitioners. These proposals include reductions in fees paid for police station attendance, reductions in rates in advocacy, and the abolition of fees paid for committal hearings at the Magistrates Court.
No rationale has been put forward for the introduction of such a scheme and I am greatly concerned about the effect that such cuts will have on my firm and the Criminal Defence Service particularly when we have endured a wave of cuts and changes in the structure of pay over the last few years.
I am particularly troubled about the effects this will have on the quality of the Criminal Defence and protecting the rights of many of our vulnerable, disadvantaged and disenfranchised clients.
The implementation of such proposals is bound to put at risk the quality of representation clients receive and lead to an inevitable reduction of standards in the Criminal Justice System
It seems that quality is being sacrificed for price and that the consequences of this process will be disastrous, with many firms who operate on a very slim profit basis going out of business, with the inevitable consequences of staff losing jobs and the locality they have served for many years being deprived of a high street valuable service provider assisting those who need help the most In the current climate we fear staff will be unable to find alternative employment.
In particular in this locality our firm (fill in something particular about your firm and or the area where you practise)
I am keen to meet with you and other local practitioners as soon as possible in order to explain the above further as we require your urgent help.
Yours sincerely