The Law Society has told the government that a bid to deny defendants the right to choose their own solicitor constitutes an unnecessary attack on the independence of the profession. The government is proposing that judges remove solicitors acting for two or more defendants in serious criminal cases where they perceive a conflict. It is also planning to allow judges to dismiss solicitors whom they believe to be too busy to act effectively. Law Society President Fiona Woolf said: 'We agree that judges have a key role in effective case management, but it is for the solicitors' regulator to rule on questions of conflict. The government should move quickly to drop these proposals.'