CDS News

We confirm that slots for duty solicitors will continue to be allocated from October 2007 using the current system. 

The decision follows our recent consultation setting out two options for allocating slots for both police station and magistrates’ court schemes.

We received 107 responses to the consultation. The majority favoured that the present system (Option A) continues and slots are allocated to providers in proportion to the number of qualified duty solicitors they employ.

A majority of respondents opposed Option B. This allowed for a fixed allocation of slots, depending on the number to which providers were entitled on 1 July 2007.

The duty rotas will operate from October to January 2008. We intend that slots will be allocated in January on the basis of duty solicitors. From January, rotas will be fixed using the current methodology for six months to take firms up to the move to the Unified Contract next July.

Other consultation points

The consultation paper also asked whether the LSC should allocate additional slots to providers who claimed to have been disadvantaged by an aborted decision earlier this year to allocate slots according to historical volume.

A majority of respondents were against further changes and the LSC has agreed.
 
The consultation paper also asked whether different methods of allocating slots should be used in different areas. A majority of respondents were against. The LSC has decided not to vary the allocation method. 

For more information

View the consultation response on the CDS>Consultations page.

You may also be interested in our recent press release and news update on our decision to issue new general criminal contracts and to appeal the recent judicial review.