The Criminal Bar Association has lodged an appeal against a High Court decision over fixed fees for legal aid lawyers.
At a hearing in May this year, the association sought to have the new payment scheme declared unlawful but the High Court disagreed, rejecting the challenge in full.
Under the new regime, which came into effect in March, lawyers are paid a set fee based on the seriousness of their client's charges, rather than being paid for the amount of work they do on the case.
Association president Tony Bouchier says the changes to legal aid are resulting in the loss of good and competent counsel and a robust and independent criminal bar.
Mr Bouchier says their biggest concern is maintaining the quality of legal aid.
"The Urewera raids and the Dotcom issues - the issues that have been raised by those cases have come as a result of good and competent counsel acting for these people.
"With the current changes in legal aid, we're losing good and competent counsel, we're losing a robust and independent criminal bar."
Tony Bouchier expects to hear back from the High Court in the next few months.
