Here’s a recent judgement, by HHJ Gledhill QC.
It tells the story of what happened, when a firm of solicitors decided to send along an incompentent solicitor advocate to represent a defendant on a serious charge.
The judge lays the blame clearly at the feet of a system, which encourages solicitors to keep advocacy ‘in house’, rather than instrucing independent counsel. There is some suggestion that the defendant might not have been advised of his rights to choose his counsel.
Quite understandably, HHJ Gledhill QC didn’t want to earn a reputation as a Judge Pickles style controversialist, and has therefore chosen to circulate these comments within the legal profession in a low-key manner.
They should be read widely, by lawyer and politicians alike.
