Solicitors have this week slated plans for a police station telephone advice service, warning that it will compromise the integrity of the criminal justice system and 'incoherently' fly in the face of the principle of cutting costs through providing expert advice in the early stages of a case.

Responding to Legal Services Commission (LSC) consultation on the (Criminal Defence Service) CDS Direct service - which would see initial post-charge telephone advice for people detained at the police station for non-indictable offences - the Criminal Law Solicitors Association said the service would damage public confidence.

'Our concern is that individuals will be given advice over the phone by someone they will never meet, with no guarantee of confidentiality,' director Rodney Warren warned.

'[That] will damage the integrity of the system.'

The Legal Aid Practitioners Group pointed out that the plans contradicted what the LSC was doing in other fields, including its Family Advice and Information Networks project, where a specialist must make an initial diagnosis.

'This sort of contradictory thinking is what makes it so difficult for practitioners to deal with the LSC, and what gives the impression that there is no coherent thought or planning behind many of its actions,' the group complained in its response to the consultation.

Law Society chief executive Janet Paraseva also expressed concerns that the plans would restrict the availability of high-quality advice in police stations.

'We are not satisfied that these proposed arrangements would enable those detained to get the advice they need,' she said.

An LSC spokesman said consultaion on CDS Direct closed this week.

'The LSC aims to report back on [the consultation] in July, once we have had the opportunity to consider all the submissions.'

Paula Rohan