Who? Verity Cannell, solicitor at Bindmans, London.
Why is she in the news? The firm represented the Law Society, which declared victory last month in its High Court battle against the Ministry of Justice’s decision not to raise criminal legal aid fees by the minimum 15% recommended by a government-commissioned review.
Thoughts on the case: ‘As a result of chronic underfunding, thankless working conditions and an inability to retain or attract new talent to the profession, the criminal legal aid system and the fundamental right of access to justice are in jeopardy. This case highlighted the ongoing decline in criminal legal aid and the government’s ill-informed decision-making about funding, despite the unequivocal recommendations of Sir Christopher (now Lord) Bellamy in his review of the sustainability of criminal legal aid work. This ruling by no means marks the end of the fight when it comes to legal aid, but I hope that it will mark a shift in the government’s approach and result in the lord chancellor taking urgent steps to rebuild criminal legal aid. The success of this case was down to the excellent team at Bindmans and Blackstone Chambers, the invaluable input from our clients, the Law Society, as well as the numerous practitioners who contributed their evidence on the stark realities of working as a criminal legal aid lawyer.’
An MoJ spokesperson said: ‘While the claimants were successful on specific narrow grounds, the majority of their arguments were rejected by the court. We will consider the judgment carefully. [We] announced a consultation that would lead to £21m being invested in criminal legal aid solicitors. We expect our existing reforms to increase spending on criminal legal aid by up to £141m a year.’
Dealing with the media: ‘Given its far-reaching impact, this case has caught the attention of the media. The Law Society has a fantastic team who have led with the media communications and press queries.’
Why become a lawyer? ‘To fight the good fight!’
Career high: ‘Landing a job in the public law team at Bindmans was a real “pinch-me” moment. A standout case since qualifying was acting for a vulnerable young person facing homelessness as a result of a local authority’s decision to terminate its support. Following a successful judicial review, we managed to get support reinstated and ensure that he was properly looked after as a care leaver.’
Career low: ‘Darting around London in a black cab full of bundles to an out-of-hours post office to send an application to the European Court.’
