The Legal Services Commission has made around 100 of its 1,500 staff, including some senior figures, redundant in a bid to cut costs, the Gazette has learned.

It is understood that those who have left include the head of civil and family policy, Sara Kovach-Clark, and the head of criminal policy, Vanessa Bailey.

The LSC confirmed that there have been around 100 redundancies, but would not confirm the names or roles of any individuals who have left, or the total size of the redundancy payouts.

However, it said that both voluntary and compulsory redundancies had been made across the board.

An LSC spokesman added that the redundancy process is ongoing and the redundancies made to date have saved £5.2m in future salary costs.

He said: ‘The government’s priority is to reduce the fiscal deficit and, like every other public body, the LSC has to make efficiencies. The LSC cannot expect lawyers to tighten their belts if we are not doing so too.’

Practitioner groups expressed concern over the impact the job losses would have on the service provided by the LSC.

Law Society president Linda Lee said: ‘It is a matter of concern that the LSC is losing so many staff, including senior experts, in such a short period of time.’

Malcolm Duxbury, president of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association, said his members were worried that staff cuts would lead to further delays in the processing and payment of fees.

Family lawyers’ group Resolution also warned of the potential impact of the job losses.

David Emmerson, chair of the group’s legal aid committee, said: ‘It is very worrying that at a time of enormous change for legal aid, the LSC is losing a lot of good people with vast experience and knowledge.

'If they aren’t replaced, this is bound to affect service delivery at a time when staff at the LSC are already under considerable pressure.’

Alison Harvey, secretary general of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association, criticised what she said was poor communication of the departures by the LSC.

She said: ‘There have been instances where the first we have known of main contacts leaving has been out-of-office replies with directions to get in touch with another person.’

Rodney Warren, director of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association, said that the departure of people who had ‘without exception’ worked hard to deliver to the profession was a ‘very considerable loss’.