The new chairman of the Criminal Bar Association has warned that legal aid cuts could ‘cripple’ the criminal bar, and urged his colleagues to remain united in the face of the challenges that lie ahead.

Max Hill QC (pictured), from London’s 18 Red Lion Court, gave a stark warning to the government about the long-term effects of its legal aid cuts, which he said could destroy the publicly funded bar.

‘If legal aid cuts cripple the criminal bar, it will be almost impossible to restore,’ he said.

The new chair said criminal barristers play a vital role, both prosecuting and representing people charged with criminal offences, in the public interest, operating on the ‘front line’ to ensure the criminal justice system works efficiently, effectively and fairly.

‘It is a profession filled with committed, hardworking individuals, comprising dedicated public servants as well as entrepreneurial privately funded practitioners, who work for clients all over the world,’ he said.

In a rallying call to the criminal bar, Hill said: ‘Tough times are undoubtedly ahead for the criminal bar. But rather than allowing these issues to divide and depress us all, my mission must be to raise our chins from the floor.

‘I have one key message for anyone who will listen: you can destroy the publicly funded bar if you want, but you will want it back when it is too late to recover what you have lost.’

Hill said it was ‘puerile’ to dismiss the bar’s arguments against fee cuts as financial self-interest, saying that the criminal bar has for decades proven to be efficient and hard working.

Promising not to shy away from the challenges that lie ahead, Hill added: ‘We are a profession with much to be proud of and everything to fight for.’