The Law Society Regulation Board has recommended that criminal defence lawyers are reaccredited (see [2006] Gazette, 1 June, 1).

The proposal comes at a time when all publicly funded criminal defence lawyers are under pressure from a lack of increase in legal aid rates and from the Carter review proposals, which appear to require more work to be done for the same remuneration. Inflation continues to eat into real incomes.


The Legal Services Commission appears not to require the reaccreditation of solicitors. Perhaps that is because the commission itself can control quality by means of existing audit procedures or the proposed peer review system. Yet the board seeks to take us away from fee-earning work to get reaccredited and to pay for the privilege. If there were a host of complaints about duty solicitors and others then the proposal may be more understandable. What evidence is there of a need for accreditation, either from the judiciary, court staff or clients?


Nick Wright, Pinders, Derby