A leading Bradford barrister has echoed warnings from city solicitors that justice will not be done if Government proposals to cut legal aid go ahead.

Nick Askins, head of the criminal team at Broadway House barrister’s chambers in Bradford, said they shared the views of solicitors that there was likely to be an impact on justice and public interest because of the changes.

The Ministry of Justice is proposing dismantling the current criminal legal aid system and replacing it with a tendering system, as it bids to save £220 million. It aims to bring in the changes by October 2014.

Senior Bradford solicitor Alan Petherbridge has already warned city law firms could go out of business and the public will not get justice if the changes are pushed through..

Mr Askins said: “The people of Bradford should be deeply concerned about the likely impact on criminal justice in the city by what is proposed, both in the magistrates’ and the crown court. If the proposals are viable at all, it can only be by providing justice on the ultra cheap. Everybody seems to agree, including the Ministry of Justice, that it is going to mean a fall in quality of service.

“The proposed scheme will mean no-one will have a choice of solicitor. Whether the solicitor imposed on the client then decides to instruct a barrister or not is going to be up to the solicitor. They may be forced to keep the crown court advocacy ‘in house’ rather than instruct a barrister, as they otherwise do.” Alistair MacDonald QC, leader of the North Eastern Circuit, of which Bradford is a part, said data reinforced the view that many people will be faced with financial ruin to defend themselves in court and the Criminal Bar would be decimated.

He said: “The losers from this Bill will be law-abiding citizens on modest incomes who defend their homes against intruders, accidentally clip a cyclist with their cars, or who are simply among the many each year accused of crimes they haven’t committed.”