England: Sir Brian Leveson warns of shrinking criminal defence profession

Sir Brian Leveson said that the average age of duty solicitors was currently slightly younger than 50.

Furthermore, he suggested a number of regions were “in danger of becoming advice deserts in relation to the availability of duty solicitors”.

Speaking at the London Criminal Courts’ Solicitors’ Association 70th anniversary dinner last week, he said: “If new young blood isn’t coming in, if spaces are left, people at a moment of extreme crisis facing criminal charges are left to their own devices.”

“Criminal solicitors are a vital cog in our delicately balanced justice eco-system,” he added.

“For those who find themselves accused of a crime they offer an early check against miscarriages of justice.”

Sir Brian also pointed to a similar problem at the bar, saying: “The knock-on potential consequences are a future shortage of judges experienced in criminal law. This worries me greatly.”

Commenting on the essential importance of criminal work, he said: “You attend police stations 24 hours of the day, 365 days of the year. Dealing with people in crisis, dealing with mental health and housing issues and the consequent effects on their families.”