Lawyers’ U-turn ‘huge disappointment’

A LAWYER has voiced his disappointment about colleagues breaking ranks in an Angus boycott over extra police station duties.

Mike Ferrie, dean of the Society of Procurators and Solicitors of Angus, said it was an issue which “required total support and trust between Angus firms” for the embargo to work.

But the “picket line” was breached just weeks after the new legislation came into force in January when two criminal law firms broke ranks and enlisted in the scheme, which Mr Ferrie said was a “surprising and unexpected decision”.

That has now led to the remainder of criminal practitioners making a snap decision to reapply to the scheme. Mr Ferrie described the U-turn as “a huge disappointment and something of an embarrassment” and questioned the “fragile resolve of certain of our local practitioners”.

He said the others who followed suit were “extremely unhappy” at being placed in that position but were left with no choice.

The new legislation entitles anyone in custody to legal advice and not only those who are being interviewed by police.

The revised police station duty scheme was triggered by a 2010 UK Supreme Court ruling which found it was a breach of an accused’s human rights to deny them access to a solicitor during a police interview.

Liam Kerr MSP