Independent defence under government proposalsI want to express my concern over the government's plan to introduce public defenders (see [2000] Gazette, 15 June, 1).It strikes me that if a solicitor wished to work directly for a government service, he would have more than likely applied to be a member of the Crown Prosecution Service.

The reason that the majority of solicitors conduct defence work is because they enjoy their independence and are in no way fettered by government interference.

To have a scheme where the prosecutor and public defender are both appointed and paid directly by a government department, maybe even the same one, could perhaps lead to an abuse.The reality will be, if this scheme comes into place, that it would attract lawyers of a lesser quality than those currently undertaking this type of work.

More than likely it would be attractive to those people who are only prepared to work office hours, unlike the current breed of criminal defence lawyers who are basically available 24 hours a day to represent their clients, either at court or when arrested at a police station.One shouldn't perhaps be too surprised at this new government idea.

Some say that we have a second-rate National Health Service; why should the law be any different in the eyes of the government in providing a second-rate legal service?Anthony Sugare, president, Leeds Law Society