City AM reports our warning that the number of criminal duty solicitors continue to fall. Years of underfunding and cuts – including 25 years without a significant rise in criminal legal aid rates – have left firms facing a crisis in retention and recruitment.
I. Stephanie Boyce, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, said: "Each lost firm means fewer practitioners to respond to an ever-growing number of cases and ensure timely access to justice for victims and defendants."
Read our press release
Our heatmap shows the picture across England and Wales
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