Sweeping and controversial £100million legal aid reforms brought in by Chris Grayling in his role as Justice Secretary are to be undone by his successor, Michael Gove.

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Mr Grayling introduced a planned change to the process of awarding contracts for criminal legal aid, which would have cut rates of pay for representing defendants in police stations and magistrates’ courts.

The proposed 8.75 per cent fee cut will be scrapped by Mr Gove, it was announced last week.

The widely-unpopular reforms Mr Grayling made in his time as Justice Secretary – between 2012 and 2015 – triggered the first-ever strike by criminal barristers in March 2014.

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In a written ministerial statement Mr Gove also disclosed spending on legal aid fell from £2.4billion to £1.6billion in the last parliament.

Mr Gove wrote: “That spending reduction was achieved by my predecessors following consultation with the profession and they were both determined to ensure those most in need were not denied public support.

“Indeed at the start of this parliament expenditure on legal aid per capita was more generous than any other EU nation or comparable common law jurisdiction.

“I would like to place on the record my gratitude for the determined, yet sensitive, way in which my predecessors pursued these economies.”

Also set to be dropped is a contract-tendering procedure which was intended to consolidate the legal profession.

However, critics argue by narrowing the number of firms allowed to do legal duty work would lead to a less diverse market, creating a two-tier system.

Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, chairman of the Bar, welcomed the Mr Gove’s statement that the Government has decided not to proceed with plans to introduce dual contracts.

She said: "The Bar council has always opposed the two-tier scheme. We have consistently asked the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency to re-consider their plans.

"The decision to scrap the scheme is the right one – it shows that the Lord Chancellor has listened to the legal profession's concerns about access to justice and is acting upon them.

"We look forward to continuing our discussions with the ministry and the Legal Aid Agency on a range of measures to enhance and sustain high quality criminal advocacy."

These about-faces follow Mr Gove’s decision to reverse other money-saving initiatives like the ban on families sending books to incarcerated relatives and the courts charge – a compulsory charge on all convicted defendants of up to £1,200.

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Mr Grayling declined to comment.

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