Those of us who were present at the creation of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 1986 will be forgiven a weary smile at the announcement by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of an increase in the scope of work undertaken by the service's lay staff in the magistrates' courts (see [2004] Gazette, 7 May, 3).

We will well remember the comment made at the time that the bulk of what the former Prosecuting Solicitors Departments did was nothing but low-grade work.

Ken McDonald's four unfortunate predecessors had to cope, without noticeable success, with the devastating effect on lawyer morale that this remark created.

What is now proposed will mean that the bulk of advocacy undertaken by the CPS will be carried on by people who have not had to undergo the training required in qualifying to be a lawyer, or to carry the financial burden that is entailed by so doing.

Anyone contemplating a legal career with the CPS will want to ask themselves, 'why bother with the exams?'

Those who do take the trouble to qualify will, according to the DPP, be 'working in charging centres across the country', advising the police in the early stage of cases on evidence and charges.

All this means is that they will be stuck as an unwanted guest in some gloomy room in a police station doing what supervisory police officers should have been doing in the first place.

It requires no gift of foresight to see that the remaining restrictions on the advocacy that lay staff will be allowed to do will soon disappear, and this creeping

de-lawyerisation will continue.

Whether the public will get to be better served is open to debate, but I do not imagine that it will help the CPS to recruit, and, more importantly, retain, talented lawyers.

John Edwards, solicitor, branch Crown prosecutor, CPS Chester