I have spent the last 15 years fighting on behalf of the Law Society’s members for the pay their vital work deserves, which is necessary to make the criminal defence profession sustainable and ensure access to justice for victims, witnesses and defendants.
Criminal defence solicitors have gone a staggering quarter of a century without a significant funding hike. It is hard to think of any other profession where the fees payable are stuck in a mid-90s time warp.
Unsurprisingly given the decades of underfunding and cuts, criminal law is no longer an attractive career option for young solicitors or barristers.
Many of those who are currently practising in criminal law will be considering how long they are able to continue doing so – a growing number have already left.
Switching to other areas...
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