Loss of 2,000 duty solicitors by 2027 may lead to “perfect storm”, says Law Society president

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The criminal justice system will lose more than 2,000 duty solicitors in the next five years, according to data published by The Law Society.

The report also revealed that the number of criminal defence solicitors has dropped by 1,446 since 2017, with a further 618 predicated to leave by 2027. This news comes in the wake of the Home Office stop and search data, which revealed in October that arrests have increased for the first time in seven years. 

The Home Office predicted in 2021 that its widespread recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers could lead to a further 729,000 cases entering the system by 2030.

Further analysis carried out suggested that there’ll be fewer duty solicitors registered on training schemes in 42 out of 43 police areas.

The worst hit areas include:

• Cumbria;
• Dorset; and
• Gloucestershire.

President of the Law Society Lubna Shuja stated: “Our projections show the widescale collapse of duty solicitor schemes across England and Wales is ever more likely. Combined with more police officers and cases, this is creating a perfect storm in criminal justice that’ll affect victims of crime, witnesses and society as a whole.”

She also raised questions over who’d represent these additional prisoners, noting: “There simply aren’t enough of them [duty solicitors] to go round because the work isn’t financially viable.”

The Law Society has once again called on the government to take note of the urgent recommendations of the Bellamy criminal legal aid review.