A young criminal barrister-in-the-making wants to make use of his advocacy skills by standing as a councillor in next year’s borough elections.

Alex Cisneros, 23, from Epsom, will be putting himself forward as a Labour candidate in Woodcote ward in Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s elections next May 7.

A trainee barrister and human rights activist, Mr Cisneros said he wants to use the skills he has developed as an advocate to help people in the area he grew up in.

If elected, he plans to work as a barrister while undertaking his council duties. 

He said: "I spent so much money on these skills that have given me an ability to represent people.

"The reason I went to the bar is because I want to help people and it made sense to look back on where I live and use these skills and contacts to help those people too.

"I am looking to help and represent people who need it."

Mr Cisneros said he supported a protest by members of the National Association of Probation Officers, held in Epsom town centre last month, against Justice Secretary Chris Grayling’s plans to hand management of low- and medium-risk offenders to private companies and the voluntary sector.

The lawyer said that while he does not dislike Mr Grayling, Epsom and Ewell’s MP since 2001, personally, "I frankly don’t agree with what’s going on", with regards to the changes he has introduced to the justice system - particularly his cuts to criminal legal aid.

"It’s been really interesting as a trainee barrister to see the justice system as an overview," Mr Cisneros said.

"When I saw the probation workers were to protest I was supportive.

"I took part in the protest in London against legal aid cuts.

"There seems to be a pattern of everyone in the justice system getting upset, the people who are working in it, day in day out, who don’t feel they are being listened to.

"You get a real feeling of frustration."

The Government plans to reduce the fees paid by the taxpayer to criminal solicitors and barristers to represent defendants, a 17.5 per cent cut, and decrease the number of duty solicitor contracts for attendance at police stations and courts from 1,600 to 525.

The thresholds required to qualify for legal aid have also been changed. 

Mr Cisneros said: "The top people I studied with have decided they don’t want to become criminal barristers which is sad because the quality at the criminal bar will go down.

"I wanted to become a criminal barrister to help people who are at their most vulnerable.

"Blocking off that career to so many people will lead to its diminishment."

In September, the High Court ruled that the Ministry of Justice’s consultation process over the legal aid cuts was so unfair that it amounted to illegality.

A judicial review of the consultation was brought by the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association and the Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association, which said the consultation process was unfair.

Mr Grayling was named as the defendant at the hearing.

It is understood that the Ministry of Justice will consider the judgement to see whether it is obliged to hold the consultation process again.

The Government aims to cut more than £200million from the legal aid budget by 2018-19.