NI Legal Services Commission

“Legal aid fees received by individual barristers have topped £1m a year, according to figures released by the NI Legal Services Commission.”

“An individual barrister earned £1.2m from legal aid fees in 2008/2009 - the first time over £1m had been paid to a legal aid counsel in NI.”

“The following year two barristers exceeded the £1m benchmark, one of them earning almost £1.5m.”

“In 2009-2010 total payments to all barristers amounted to £35m, an increase on the previous year's figure of £25.5m.”

“Solicitors firms were also paid more in 2009/2010, receiving £62m compared with £58m the year before.”

“The biggest earning legal aid solicitors firm in 2009/2010 was Kevin Winters & Co getting £2.9m (down from £3.3m the previous year).”

“The next highest paid firm were Madden and Finucane taking £1.8m (up from £1.7m the previous year).”