DUTY ROTAS

The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is to issue a new three-month rota for duty defence solicitor slots until the end of September, rather than introducing interim arrangements ahead of the introduction of fixed fees for police station work in October. The rota, worked out following a consultation with criminal defence solicitors, will be based on the current allocation system. Criminal Defence Service director Derek Hill says: “We will collect data on any firms who reduced their duty solicitor numbers in response to the LSC’s original announcements and will consider this in deciding on a way forward from October 2007.”