Miscarriages of Justice

I started training in law way back in the seventies, when access to police stations to represent suspects was at the discretion of the police. This was prior to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and proper custody procedures such as taped and not handwritten recordings of interrogations. Many was the time when I would be banging on the police station door trying to gain access to my client. As often as not, one was allowed in only after an interview and when the client then alleged "I've been fitted-up Andrew." Subsequent pleas of oppression or intimidation often fell on deaf judicial ears, until science lent a hand in proving notes could not have been made as the officers' claimed.
Time, legislation, decided cases and economics have moved on so that in 2009 we apparently have an extensive system of legal representation in police stations throughout England & Wales (but not Scotland). However differences in the 24 hour assistance caused by Legal Aid changes and the often unprofitable nature of this work has in my view been to the detriment of full and proper representation at this most crucial part of our justice system. I reckon that there will be an inevitable increase in the miscarriages of justice. Some more vulnerable, innocent individuals might end up with convictions and sentences based on incorrect procedures, exploitation by canny officers and the need to solve crimes expeditiously. 'Crimes solved' statistics come to mind and concomitant political pressures.
Our core belief at M23law is in proper representation at the police station level. It might mean travelling long distances or pernicious unsocial hours to defend a suspect's interests. Increasingly this is on a private basis due to the shortfall in Legal Aid. We have recently acted on cases as far north as Cumbria on a kidnapping and Greater Manchester on a serious indictable (Crown Court only) drugs conspiracy allegation.