A High Court judge has raised concerns about the axing of a long-standing exchange scheme which enabled young Chinese lawyers to spend time at City law firms, as the profession is expanding in emerging markets such as Asia.

Mr Justice Vos said he had been “particularly concerned” about the abolition of the Lord Chancellor’s training scheme which had been running for 20 years and had enabled 300 Chinese lawyers to spend a year in the UK with law firms and barristers’ chambers. The scheme was axed in April after the government’s decision to stop funding due to spending cuts.

The judge said: “We make a mistake if we think we are wasting our time by offering Asian, African, South American, Middle Eastern and indeed eastern European professionals the opportunity to experience the British legal system. We can create a generation of worldwide ambassadors extolling our virtues, if we only embrace programmes to bring the best of young overseas lawyers and professionals to spend some time here to see how we do things.”