Perhaps it is little wonder that the new chairman of the Bar Council says solicitor high court advocates should be governed by his body, when one considers the standard of advice given by the Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates as publicised recently in 'Advocacy Q&A' (see [2004] Gazette, 8 January, 24).

It is extraordinary that it is deemed that most self-respecting magistrates' court advocates should be thought unlikely to have come across such basic terms as those described, and perhaps disappointing that the Gazette could not have produced something of more assistance to those of us who 'tread the boards' in the Crown Court, having gained our higher rights.

It is clear that the Law Society fulfils a perfectly proper and successful function in regulating higher court advocates, and somewhat inappropriate that the chairman of the Bar Council should equate our appearances in the Crown Court as 'doing [their] job'.

It is perfectly obvious that we do much more than those at the Bar have ever done, in that we represent our clients from the first instance at the police station all the way through to the Crown Court, and do not just pick up a trial brief as a return at the eleventh hour.

It is thus perfectly proper that the Law Society should continue to fulfil the regulatory function.

Jan Brewer, solicitor/ higher court advocate, Essex