SOLICITORS and barristers across Gwent joined 30 firms across Wales in a day of lobbying against planned changes to the legal aid system.

Representatives from Gwent firms including Keith Evans & Co, Watkins and Gunn and Driscoll Young, gathered at Newport Crown Court and Cwmbran and Caerphilly Magistrates’ Court on Friday talking to people about the impact the changes, put forward in a bid to save the government £220 million, will have for them.

Under the proposals, legally aided criminal defendants will no longer be able to choose a lawyer and will instead be allocated someone at random.

Firms will have to bid for criminal legal aid work and will only be awarded a contract if they charge the lowest possible price per case, which many believes will jeopardise the quality of advice received by defendants.

The number of firms in Gwent would be reduced to four, and they do not necessarily have to have an office in the region to be awarded the work.

Heath Edwards, barrister at Nine Park Place in Cardiff, said the changes could put solicitors out of business.

He said: “In an era of austerity they are trying to create a recession. They are trying to put forward that solicitors and barristers are making fat cat livings and that is nonsense.”

Andrew Twomlow, of Twomlows Solicitors, said: “By taking away client choice, you take away the incentive for the solicitor to provide a service of a high quality. It might increase the conviction rate by having them badly represented.”

A petition against the plans is at epetitions.direct.gov.

uk/petitions/48628