CDS News

Since taking responsibility for deploying all police station cases – both duty solicitor and own client – in January 2008 the Defence Solicitor Call Centre (DSCC) has received a number of queries from solicitors asking for clarity regarding who they can swap their duty solicitor rota slots with.

Duty solicitor rota slots

If your firm or organisation is unable to cover a rota duty slot you may:

• swap the duty or give the duty to another duty solicitor employed by your firm; or
• swap the duty with or give the duty to another duty solicitor who is a member of the local scheme to which the slot has been allocated and is employed by a CDS provider.

Unified Contract (Crime) Part A 2.76

When swapping a duty to another duty solicitor employed by your firm that duty solicitor does not have to be a member of the local scheme to which the slot has been allocated.

Accredited police station representatives and duty solicitor work

Since April 2007 accredited police station representatives can undertake all levels of duty solicitor work including receiving the initial call from the DSCC and providing telephone advice to the detained client.

The DSCC will add the telephone contact details of accredited police station representatives if the duty solicitor wishes them to cover work during their duty period.

It is the duty solicitor's responsibility to ensure that the police station representative is fully accredited and that the contractual supervision requirements are complied with.

The duty solicitor doesn't have to employ the representative directly, ie, “freelance representatives” can be used as alternative contacts.

Own solicitor cases

Solicitors who wish to provide alternative telephone contact details for their own solicitor cases may submit the details of any solicitors or police station representatives regardless of whether they are members of the same firm or on the same local scheme.

A solicitor who wishes to add a police station representative’s details as an alternative contact for own client cases must ensure compliance with the contractual supervision requirements but need not directly employ the representative, ie, “freelance representatives” can be used as alternative contacts.

Updating your contact details

You can update your contact details and add alternative contacts online using the secure website: www.dutysolicitors.org

If you have not yet registered with the DSCC to use the website you can obtain a login and password by emailing them.