SSBA survey ‘paints bleak picture’ for criminal defence profession

In terms of age demographics, only eight per cent of SSBA members are under 30 with 46 per cent being 50 or older.

A total number of 247 SSBA responded to the survey.

Simon Brown, president of the SSBA, said: “Our survey results paint a bleak picture for the future of the criminal bar. The Scottish government have prided themselves on having a gender balanced cabinet since 2014 and yet a decade on, their failure to properly invest in legal aid has led to demographics which would utterly unacceptable in any other area of public life.

“However when it comes to legal aid, the Scottish government are unwilling to put their purported principles into practice, instead preferring to undermine access to justice by underfunding this essential public service. My heart goes out to the talented law students who are unable to get a start in their preferred career because of the government’s failure.”

He added: “With nearly half of our members being 50 or older, it is difficult to see how the damage that the Scottish government has done to legal aid can be reversed. Clearly before we try to solve the problem, which is likely now unsolvable in any event, the government must accept there is a problem and there is no evidence of them doing that.

“Defence lawyers have been left to manage the decline of legal aid whilst trying to ensure that some of the most vulnerable members of our society are able to access justice. The government is creating a two-tier justice system with the wealthy able to access justice and the poor in danger of becoming victims of miscarriages of justice.

“The SSBA has repeatedly attempted to engage with the Scottish government in an attempt to work together to find a solution but the government has proven incapable of making any meaningful progress during our negotiations. Our survey provides further evidence of the scale of the crisis facing the criminal bar.”