THE Law Society last night pleaded for government cuts not to fall on front line legal aid services.

Society president Robert Heslett called on the Ministry of Justice to show mercy to the £2bn legal aid budget, which was targeted for cuts by the previous Government.

Mr Heslett was speaking after the new Chancellor George Osbourne announced £6.2bn of public spending cuts which Whitehall departments will have to find this year.

The Ministry of Justice, whose Secretary of State Kenneth Clarke oversees the legal aid bosses at the Legal Services Commission, will have to find £325m of savings. Mr Heslett said the cuts were coming at a time when the public needed legal aid the most.

He said: “In a time of austerity, it is no doubt tempting to see legal aid as an area where cuts could safely be made without arousing voter concern.

“But this is precisely the time when legal aid services are most needed, to protect ordinary people from unfair decisions about issues on their employment, housing and benefit entitlement.

“More than that, to ensure children receive the best representation in care and family cases.

“The society hopes in the interests of access to justice that the necessary cuts come from the LSC’s own administrative costs and the fees of a very few extremely well-paid barristers, rather than funds required for legal aid.”

Responding to Mr Heslett, a spokesman for the LSC told LDP Legal: “The Government announced a review of legal aid on May 20. The LSC expects to play a key part in the review.

“We made cuts to our administration budget last year and are continuing this year with our programme of reducing LSC running costs.”