The Law Society, the agency that governs solicitors in England and Wales, has issued a report on the demise of criminal defence solicitors, specifically duty solicitor across the country. Analysis of the number of criminal defence solicitors in England and Wales has shown an alarming 37% fall in duty solicitors. In the past ten years, records show there are 2,064 fewer duty solicitors in England and Wales than there were in 2014
The number of duty solicitors has already plummeted by 26% since 2017 (1,446 fewer). It is estimated that 618 more duty solicitors could be lost by 2027 (11%). Analysis carried out by the Law Society predicts there will be fewer duty solicitors registered on schemes in 42 out of 43 police force areas with Cumbria, Dorset and Gloucestershire among the worst hit.
We have seen how successive governments have provided a considerable increase in spending to the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service in order to make more arrests and bring prosecutions, whilst at the same time, seriously underfunding those defending these prosecutions. The consequences of this continuing underfunding is now apparent for all to see.
Arrests have risen for the first time in years, with more than 700,000 additional cases set to enter the criminal justice system due to rising police office numbers. At the same time, the number of criminal defence solicitors available to defend those entering the criminal justice system is dangerously low, to the point where in areas such as Barnstable in North Devon, there is only 1 duty solicitor to cover the entire area. At the same time, the Ministry of Justice is looking to merge the North Devon area with Exeter and Bridgewater, which will mean duty solicitors for that area could have a 3 hour journey to get to and from a police station for a single detainee who needs legal advice
This is unsustainable and can only lead to the collapse of the criminal justice system as we know it.
