I was surprised to see Mr Edwards’ claim that many duty solicitors are ‘overpaid’. When one considers the hours worked, experience gained and education obtained in the pursuit of duty solicitor status, duty solicitors are in the main underpaid. If one compares a duty solicitor’s salary to that of a doctor, a general practitioner of comparable experience could expect to command a salary in excess of £20,000 more than that of a duty solicitor.

We may not be saving lives, but protecting an individual’s liberty is just as important.

Gemma Louise Essex, AA Mirsons Solicitors, London