Video: Lyndsey Barber on why she is leaving law

Lyndsey Barber

She discusses the disparity in pay between the defence and prosecution and the incredible pressure placed on defence lawyers for comparatively poor remuneration.

She also points out that a number of sheriffs are bullies towards those who appear before them.

“I have found myself spoken to abysmally,” she says. “It has made me emotional; it has made me doubt myself and it’s affecting my home life.”

Lawyers are failing to keep themselves financially and emotionally afloat in the defence profession, she explains.

The video comes as Julia McPartlin, president of the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, warned of an exodus from the defence profession.

Ms McPartlin said: “Access to justice and availability is a real problem. It is probably more acute in rural areas than in towns and cities, but if you go to somewhere like Airdrie there are no more young female defence solicitors left.

“People will struggle to find representation and firms will have to say no to additional work. There are certain categories of cases in which an accused cannot represent themselves, for good reason, such as allegations of sexual offences or where the alleged victim is vulnerable, such as domestic cases.

“In those cases they simply have to have a solicitor – so if an accused person cannot find someone it will mean more delay in the system and the case won’t be able to go ahead.”

Solicitor Vincent McGovern tweeted that, in comparison with Ms Barber, Justice Secretary Keith Brown, who refuses to be interviewed or to meet defence lawyers, “should be ashamed of himself”.