Solicitors Suggest Police May Be Denying Suspects a Fair Trial

Tue, 15 Dec 2009

A new survey from the National Audit Office (NAO) has found that defendants may be being denied a fair trial by police . The survey questioned solicitors and lawyers, and asked why they believe half of all suspects do not use legal aid entitling them to free legal services . Solicitors suggested that it is a result of police action, or a failure to inform defendants of their right to legal representation.

The Law Society voiced their concerns at the findings of the study, and said they were particularly concerned by figures which suggest that 31 per cent of defendants don’t recall being informed of their right to free legal representation from a solicitor. Further research from the NAO found that solicitors ‘can experience barriers to accessing their clients’ at the police station. The report also exposed flaws in the way that the Legal Services Commission handles legal aid, suggesting that it is not cost efficient.

However, a separate study from the Legal Services Commission offers a different account of why clients may refuse legal representation. The research suggests that people may actually prefer not to have a solicitor, even with no legal costs, as they already know the criminal justice system well.
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