Scales of justice unbalanced by legal exodus

More evidence has emerged of critical issues in the criminal justice system with fewer duty solicitors leaving suspects struggling to be represented. The QT’s Editor Brian Aitken reports

In 2017 there were 68 duty solicitors in the Cleveland police force area. Last year the number had dropped by 22% to 53
Over the same time period, the Durham area saw a 29% drop from 59 to 42 duty solicitors
Northumbria saw the biggest drop at 36% with the number falling from 210 to 135. Those numbers are expected to fall by between 10% and 20% by 2027

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