Criminal practitioners will be aware that from 1 November 2005 all solicitors who wish to provide own-solicitor services at police stations will either have to have passed, or be registered with the Legal Services Commission (LSC) to take, the police station part of the criminal litigation accreditation scheme. Current duty solicitors are passported.

I have been in practice as a criminal lawyer for 20 years. I retired from the duty solicitor scheme in Dorset at the end of 1999, as I was unable to cope with duty solicitor attendances in addition to the number of attendances I was making (and still have to make), in respect of my own clients. As I am no longer a member of the duty solicitor scheme, I have now to become accredited.


I have taken this matter up with the LSC and am pleased to report that my account manager has promised to speak to the powers that be on my behalf. Progress indeed.


I should like to hear from other senior criminal solicitors who find themselves in the same unenviable position as myself. I suspect that they view the prospect of preparing a portfolio and taking the critical incidents test with the same horror as I do.


Much as I relish the thought of never having to drag myself out to a police station of an evening or at a weekend again, I must of course do everything in my power to protect my current position and my contract.


Sharon Taylor, Sharon Taylor Associates, Poole