The proposals will inevitably result in a massive reduction in the quality of service and representation available to clients: -
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Clients will no longer be able to instruct the solicitor of their choice;
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Sentencing courts will lose the benefit of hearing from an advocate with long standing knowledge of the client before them;
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Cases will be handled be non qualified and inexperienced staff;
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Staff will be pressured to cut corners and ignore so-called ‘non essential’ or ‘time consuming’ tasks;
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Clients will face increased pressure to plead guilty;
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The police will be able to use delay as a tactic or weapon against defence representatives in the police station leading to unrepresented or improperly advised suspects;
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Clients will have to travel further than before; solicitors firms will disappear from many high streets;
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Individual lawyers with knowledge and experience will simply be lost to the system.