On Wednesday 25 February, the Government laid the Courts and Tribunals Bill before Parliament for a first reading. This Bill removes, for the first time, a Defendant’s right to elect Crown Court trial in either-way cases. There has been significant push-back from the...
By the end of 2025, the UK’s “crime picture” looks less like a single trend line and more like a split-screen: traditional volume crime continues its long, uneven decline, while harm-driven and high-demand categories (fraud, retail theft, certain violence types) keep...
Breaking into law is competitive - and your CV is often your first opportunity to show that you understand not just the law, but the reality of criminal defence work. Chambers, firms and legal organisations are looking for more than strong academics; they want...
The criminal justice system faces a demographic challenge that can no longer be ignored: the workforce of criminal defence lawyers is ageing, with the average age of a duty Solicitor now 51. While experience is an invaluable asset in a field defined by judgement,...
The ninth edition of the bible that is Ed Cape’s defending suspects at the police station has just been published. This is core reading for anyone who is training for police station accreditation or for those who are regularly attending the police station. More...
As the Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association enters a pivotal period for the profession, newly appointed Chair Katy Hanson steps into the role with deep experience, clear purpose, and a passionate commitment to defending access to justice. In this interview, Katy...