In what circumstances will the California Court of Appeal award substantial attorneys' fees to plaintiffs' counsel?

I respectfully dissent. In the absence of any statutory authority therefor, the majority awards substantial attorneys' fees to plaintiffs on the ground that plaintiffs' counsel acted in the capacity of "private attorneys general" in vindicating constitutional rights for a large segment of our state's population. I have previously, in my [569 P.2d 1318] dissenting opinion in Serrano II (Serrano v. Priest (1976) 18 Cal.3d 728, 777-785, 135 Cal.Rptr. 345, 557 P.2d 929), expressed the reasons for my disagreement with the majority's premise that plaintiffs were denied equal protection of the laws under the state Constitution.