League tables published by SLAB indicate that Tony Lenehan was the highest paid legal aid advocate in 2020-21. Mr Lenehan’s fees stood at £229,000 in 2020-21, down £105,000, or 32 per cent, on the previous year.

John McElroy took second place this year, rising from ninth, with earnings of £186,000 – a 23 per cent decline on his £241,000 in the previous year.

Louise Arrol ranked third, rising from sixth, with earnings of £182,000, a 35 per cent drop of £98,000 on the previous year.

Julian Aitken rose from fifteenth to fourth place this year. His earnings were £180,000, a decline of five per cent, or £9,000, on the year before.

Fifth place went to Anthony Graham QC, who made £170,000, a 47 per cent decline of £150,000 on the previous year.

As for law firms, Latta & Co Solicitors retained first place for the second year running. It saw a 19 per cent decline in fees, which stood at 1,560,000 in 2020-21, a £373,000 decline on the previous year.

Livingstone Brown rose from fourth to second place with earnings of £1,531,000, an eight per cent increase of £118,000 on the previous year.

Paterson Bell Solicitors took third place this year – up from last year’s fifth – with fees of £1,229,000: a £150,000, or 11 per cent, decline on the 2019-2020 figure.

Bruce McCormack dropped to fourth place this year with fees of £1,222,000, a 15 per cent decline of £214,000.

Martin, Johnston & Socha Ltd Solicitors fell from second to fifth place with fees of £1,136,000. This represents a 25 per cent decline of £369,000 on the previous year.