Balancing act

It seems that the cost of opening and staffing new Public Defender Service offices (see [2002] Gazette, 28 March, 1) is no obstacle in the pursuit of the objectives set by the political agenda, demonstrating absolute inequality in the ability to develop and sustain such projects between the state on the one hand and private practice on the other.

I can understand the reaction reported.

The Legal Services Commission has the power to demand sight of confidential business plans, confidential accounts and a host of other records that it insists on being created.

It knows everything that we are doing and yet it is not even prepared to divulge its most scant plans for opening new offices.

I challenge the LSC to tell us just how much it is spending on the set-up and running costs for these offices, given that it knows every innermost detail of ours.

There is no equality, balance or fairness in the situation that we find ourselves in.

There has been a complete breakdown in trust between practitioners and administrators.

The latter have finances and statistics as their primary focus.

The former have the interests of the public and providing defence services in ever increasingly difficult circumstances as theirs.

Jonathan Brierley, solicitor-advocate, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan