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legal aid advocate's fees are fixed - there's only so many cases that can be done by the average criminal barrister every year so earnings are pretty much capped by the legal aid rates set.
the criminal bar is striking because they say the fees are too low. so the govt has to decide what it's prepared to pay to stop the erosion of the profession the bar claims low fees are causing.
so it is very much a question of how much is a criminal barrister worth to society.
Your question suggests that there is a right number and a wrong number. It’s childlike.
The answer is that they should be paid what they deserve for the work that they do.