Britain's solicitors are now paid about a third less in real terms than in 2008
Practising criminal law has become wildly unprofitable. Many people accused of crimes cannot afford a lawyer, so the state pays one to advise and if necessary represent them. But its rates for solicitors have not risen since the 1990s. Barristers, who argue more serious cases in the crown court, say their pay is falling behind too. In 2014 the pay freeze was followed by outright cuts, and many firms shut their criminal-law departments or closed down.
Britain once prided itself on its ability to provide anyone, rich or poor, with a fair hearing in court. But the austerity squeeze has affected every part of the criminal-justice system. The backlog of cases waiting to be heard in crown court reached 60,000 last year, the most since comparable figures started to be published in 2014. The average wait between crime and verdict in crown court is now 708 days.
The shortage of lawyers starts in the police station, where solicitors advise people who have been arrested. Rotas ideally have many lawyers, who can cover a night a week and fill in whenever one of them has a conflict of interest. In Cardigan, Ms Hanson shares this duty with just two others. Next comes the magistrates’ court, where again Ms Hanson shares duty with two other solicitors.
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