Janet Paraskeva encourages solicitors to expand into Europe (see [2004] Gazette, 19 February, 20), but for those defence lawyers who might consider doing this, the going will not be easy.

British lawyers bitterly complain about the meagre rewards of criminal legal aid but with the singular exception of the Netherlands they would be hard put to survive in the other countries of the EU.

Indeed, legal aid is virtually unobtainable in most of the EU member states.

Experience suggests that judicial culture clash alone should deter most solicitors from doing court work without a local leader.

Those criminal practitioners who would wish to set up joint ventures with local lawyers in other parts of the EU will find themselves confined to fee paying white-collar crime.

Indeed, we suspect that a number of firms may already have such arrangements.

Since one of the services we try to provide to our clients is introductions to local criminal lawyers who speak a variety of languages, we would be pleased to hear from British lawyers who have reliable connections, particularly in the accession states and outside the EU.

Stephen Jakobi, solicitor and director, Fair Trials Abroad Trust