The ongoing dispute between lawyers and Justice Minister David Ford is severely affecting the legal system in the region, resulting which 70+ legal firms have also withdrawn their services and have started protesting against the minister's cuts in legal aid fees.

Legal firms are totally against the cuts made by the Justice Minister, as according to them the cuts calculate to more than a 50% reduction, which is highly non-affordable for them to even properly represent their clients in the Crown Court. Upon which, Mr. Ford said that he cannot pay the solicitors what they want as he do not have sufficient amount of money to pay them.

Patrick Fullerton, 44, is a remand prisoner from Lisneal in the Waterside area of the city, who had been arraigned with drugs charges before Judge Piers Grant for possessing a Class A drug, designed for administering by injection and with possessing diazepam. He said at the Crown Court in Londonderry yesterday that the prisoners are being harmfully affected by the row, post which the entire issue was raised.

But soon a prosecution barrister confirmed Judge Grant about illegality in the representation of the defendant, following the withdrawal of his solicitor from the case due to the dispute, who then seeked permission to address the court on the issue from the dock.