No brief fee

According to The Lawyer of 25 February, counsel instructed in the Princess Diana inquest have taken the unusual step of not agreeing a brief fee but of being paid on an hourly basis because ‘everything about the inquest was so uncertain – when it would start and even how long it would take’. The hourly rates of Michael Mansfield QC and Ian Croxford QC are £575. It is estimated that Mohamed Al Fayed will spend £3m on counsel’s fees alone.