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...
Blog
CV Tips for Aspiring Criminal Lawyers
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...
Bridging the Generational Gap: Why Millennials and Gen Z Are Essential to the Future of Criminal Defence
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,...
Ed Cape’s ‘Defending Suspects at the Police Station’ 9th Edition
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...
An Interview with Katy Hanson
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...
A Budget That Leaves the Justice System Behind
Wednesday’s Budget offered little comfort - and even less clarity - for those of us working within the criminal justice system. Despite the well-documented crisis facing our courts, prisons, and frontline legal services, there was no mention whatsoever of how the...
Winter Watchlist: Crime, Courtrooms and Cold Nights In
As the nights draw in and court corridors get colder, there’s no shame in embracing a little winter hibernation. After a long day juggling clients, caseloads and courtrooms, a gripping drama can be exactly what you need to unwind - and if it happens to be crime, legal...
Building Resilience Through the Winter: Taking Care of Ourselves and Each Other
Now the clocks have gone back and the days grow shorter, many of us in criminal defence find ourselves facing not just the dark mornings and evenings, but the weight of another long and challenging year. The pressures of this job are relentless - long, unsociable...
The Practical Cost of Mazur for Criminal Defence Solicitors
The Law Society has now published a practice note on Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP. Mazur: Law Society publishes new guidance for profession | The Law Society In a nutshell, the guidance emphasises the requirement for an authorised person (usually a Solicitor)...
A New Chapter for the CLSA: Katy Hanson Takes the Chair as Daniel Bonich Passes the Baton
The Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association (CLSA) is delighted to announce that Katy Hanson will take over as Chair, following Daniel Bonich’s five-year tenure leading the association through one of the most turbulent and transformative periods in criminal law. Andrew...