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The public are supposedly guaranteed criminal legal aid by the 1953 Council of Europe treaty (ECHR&FF), the EU's Maastricht treaty (Fundamental Freedoms) and Tony's Blair's watered-down HRA 1998.

However, not all firms or LLP have competent staff yet TLS overlook this important issue. Being a solicitor of the Senior Courts (I liked Supreme Court better) is never a guarantee of professional competence which customers (the public) seriously do require.

Would super (large) firms guarantee professional competence or be an expensive publicly funded sub-standard mockery of a Fair Trial ? Its bad enough seeking tired barristers hop-off the train after briefly browsing their brief, probably for the first time. Its even worse when solicitors, with one eye on the cash, pitiful though it is, don't seem to care.

The public, or HMG, do not owe solicitors a living. However the public utterly depend on a good and knowledgeable service from people they know little about. Too many injustices happen in the CJS (Criminal Justice System), because some solicitors fail their customers.

The Tories would sell their own grandmothers to get an extra few bob. Effective and good criminal trial representation is important for our society especially for those who are genuinely vulnerable and often semi-literate. Even intelligent individuals can get switched-up by the boys in blue.

TLS's challenge is good for the profession but the profession needs higher standards if it genuinely wants to provide an excellent service for its customers regardless whether they are publicly funded.

Justice should be available to be all. Its not.
All governments should commit to providing proper funding for a vital public service.

The profession should move to cheaper premises, on a bus route, rather than waste funds on prestigious accommodation. The profession's continued existence is vital for our society.