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Legal Matters
Scotland
Call for legal aid reform amid 'dire' lack of defence lawyers

Scotland is facing a "dire" shortage of defence lawyers, according to the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association. The body's president, Simon Brown, highlighted the urgent need for increased legal-aid rates and called for the establishment of a new review mechanism to ensure the system was fit for purpose. He said the current system fails to provide competent representation, particularly for domestic abuse cases. The Law Society of Scotland has warned that one third of practitioners are nearing retirement, exacerbating the crisis. Tony Lenehan, vice-dean of the Faculty of Advocates, said the professions of both solicitors and advocates were "two decades deep into a cycle of real-world pay cuts", with the pressures on the former directly impacting on the number of advocates. Dr Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women's Aid, noted that staff often make 40 to 50 calls to secure legal representation for clients, indicating a severe lack of available solicitors.

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