There is a belief to some extent within the profession, and to a greater extent without, that those who practise criminal law are not of the same standard or calibre as solicitors who do not.

From the profession’s point of view, this is because we rely heavily on public funding for our income. The rates we are able to charge are significantly less than those of our colleagues in ‘pure’ private practice, who are able to use hourly rates that far exceed the maximum we are ‘allowed’ to charge under public funding.

To put that into context, before I went into partnership five years ago my gross fees exceeded the senior partner in the commercial department, the probate partner and the conveyancing partner. This was achieved by sheer hard work and determination and many unsociable hours sitting in a police station, in conference with counsel after my colleagues had gone home to tend to their garden and play bridge, and so on.

Insofar as those outside the profession are concerned, we have little sympathy as all we do is drain the public purse ‘getting off’ undeserving, unemployed, drug-taking individuals on technicalities. We twist the law to our own advantage and are thoroughly unscrupulous, with no sympathy for the victims of horrendous crime. It is not surprising therefore that we should endure paycuts from the government year on year, and who cares anyway because we all drive Bentleys!

The reality could not be further from the truth. We are called to the police station at any time of the day or night and quite often we are faced with detainees who, if they are ‘regulars’, are extremely vulnerable individuals, often living on benefit with mental illness, depression and dependency. These people are human beings and deserve dignity and fair treatment.

I was recently called to the police station for a 10-year-old child who suffers from autism. The police had attended his home, arrested him and taken him to a police station about 10 miles from his home with no parent to assist. He was placed in a cell where he remained alone for about three hours. I attended with an appropriate adult (someone this child had never met before) and we had to deal with the situation. This child was in custody for an assault; the grave crime of hitting his mother on the wrist with a toy plastic aeroplane. It beggars belief that, firstly, his mother called the police, but further that the police had arrested this child at all.

The moral of the story is quite simply this. The next time you wish to condemn criminal lawyers, be you private practice solicitors, members of the public, or one of our paymasters in the government, please remember this child and the good work that defence solicitors do for little remuneration. One day we may be called upon to act for you, or one of your family or friends.

Paul Booty , McCarthy Stewart Booty, Bury St Edmunds