The nation’s top silks can earn five times more fighting the corporate and competition watchdogs than working for them, sparking claims the agencies are losing cases because they are outgunned in court, and calls for the Albanese government to end a 13-year freeze on barrister pay.

Junior silks can command up to $9500 a day from commercial clients, but only about $2730 from the government, while the country’s top silks, who command up to $25,000 a day, can only get about $4500 from the agencies, according to data from industry sources.