According to the Justice Minister David Ford, Northern Ireland’s legal aid budget is the most expensive in the world.  Legal aid pays an estimated £100 million in criminal and civil cases every year.  When Justice Minister Davld Ford tried to cut the costs of civil proceedings, after having already addressed criminal, he faced a storm of protest. Law Society president Richard Palmer accused Mr Ford of underestimating  the legal aid budget. He says Ford needs to change the legal aid system itself before he can slash the budget.  Source: Belfast Telegraph