In Justice Week, David Greene shows how the crisis in crime is reflected to particular areas of practice in civil justice
This is Justice Week, which is sponsored by The Law Society, the Bar Council and CILEx. It was previously known as National Pro Bono Week and while the issue of pro bono work is core to the week the change of name is intended to widen the scope of events in the week to other issues in our justice system. One issue to be addressed is how we can highlight the justice process and the problems it faces with our politicians who often reflect a myopic view of both criminal and civil justice, neither of which are perceived by political life as repaying in primary political currency, votes, save as a target of demonisation.
Criminal justice is in crisis. The Law Society published data earlier this year, which highlights that there is a looming problem in the number of criminal duty solicitors. Criminal solicitors are part of an ageing profession; the average age of a criminal duty solicitor is now 47 and in many regions this figure