A government consultation on a police station duty solicitor scheme in Cornwall has again highlighted the crisis engulfing the criminal legal aid sector.

The Legal Aid Agency conducted a short consultation on changes to the Carrick, Kerrier and Penwith schemes.

The agency’s consultation stated that the number of scheme members has been consistent, with 12 members on the scheme over the last couple of years, dipping to 10 on the October 2022 rota, but due to climb back up to 12 for January 2023.

However, firms currently on the three schemes pointed out in their consultation response that the agency’s figures are incorrect. There were 12 duty solicitors since the start of the April 2020 rota through to the October 2021 rota, 11 duty solicitors, eight duty solicitors at the start of the October 2022 rota and 10 duty solicitors on the January 2023 rota.

The respondents added that there were no duty solicitors under 40 in West Cornwall. Only two of the 10 duty solicitors on the January 2023 rota are under 50.

Earlier this year the Law Society revealed that the number of duty solicitors - who are involved in a critical stage of a criminal case - had plummeted. Latest analysis suggests the overall number of duty solicitors will fall by another 19% by 2025.

The Society criticised lord chancellor Dominic Raab for not implementing an immediate across-the-board 15% fee uplift as part of the government’s final response to the Bellamy criminal legal aid review, which was published last week.

The government’s response states that the proposed £16m allocated for training grants, Public Defender Service and litigators’ graduated fee scheme reform will now go towards police station fees.

 

This article is now closed for comment.