The age imbalance in the duty solicitor scheme: exploring the role of solicitors qualifying examination costs and criminal legal aid policy

<p dir="ltr">This article investigates the growing age imbalance in the duty solicitor scheme in England and Wales, where the majority of duty solicitors are aged 45 and over, and only 8% are under 34. Drawing on original quantitative data from a pilot survey of 193 aspiring solicitors, it explores whether the cost of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is acting as a financial barrier to specialisation in criminal legal aid (CLA). The findings demonstrate a clear link between the level of SQE fee funding and the perceived ease of entering the CLA sector. Full or substantial funding was widely viewed as an enabler, while lack of funding was consistently identified as a barrier, particularly among working-class respondents and those most committed to specialising in CLA. The article argues that the Ministry of Justice’s failure to implement training grants, despite recommendations from the Independent Criminal Legal Aid Review (CLAIR), is likely contributing to the ageing profile of the duty solicitor workforce. This has serious implications for access to justice and the sustainability of criminal defence provision. The study calls for urgent policy reform to restore generational diversity and ensure the long-term viability of the duty solicitor scheme. description supplied</p>