Not that we’re erroding your rights or anything..
In a little-noticed change, from next February most people who are arrested and held in custody in England and Wales for minor offences will usually be denied the right to speak to a duty lawyer.
Instead, they will be put through to a telephone call centre, staffed by legal advisers - who are not qualified as lawyers.
In London, most of the advisers will be former police officers.
Is there an official definition of “minor offense”? And I’m sure every single former officer and other advisor will be able to offer the same advice as trained legal council, and in no way have any work-related grudges or biases in the advice they give the offenders.
This will potentially save up to £4 million across the entire country, that will aparently be reinvested in Legal Aid.
However Legal Aid is provided by the CLS (Community Legal Service). This new service, the CDSD (Criminal Defence Services Direct) is run by the LSC (Legal Services Commision).
So is the Community Legal Service.
So by doing this, the LSC creates a new department within itself (modelled after NHS Direct). Cuts money going to lawyers, and instead covers the same issue with an unqualified call centre.
What this is is fudging the numbers. The four million pounds isn’t going to be “saved” because the LSC is reinvesting it in this new service. They’re still going to be getting the same amount of money from the government. The only difference is simple, and I’ll let you figure it out for yourself.
Who charges the LSC more? A lawyer or someone in a call center?
This is not a push to redirect funds, this is a push to increase the profits of the LSC at our detriment.
Finally..
Suspects will not be forced to use CDS Direct if, for example, they need interpreters or if they accuse the police of serious mistreatment. In those cases they would still be able to see a traditional duty solicitor.
In other words, only if you’re going to get the police in shit.
