British Courts Buckle From the Strain of Covid and Funding Cuts

Alejandra Llorente Tascon dreamed of becoming a criminal lawyer for years. Now the 27-year-old struggles to see a future for many of Britain’s public defenders. Based in London and self-employed (like most of the U.K.’s public defenders), Tascon says she generally earns less than the country’s hourly minimum wage after accounting for preparation work and advising clients. “The more time goes on, the more I question whether it is something I can do long term,” she says.

After the financial crisis a decade ago, Britain’s liberal-conservative coalition government introduced austerity measures. Spending on publicly funded criminal legal defense declined by 35% (in real terms) from 2010 to 2020, according to Britain’s parliamentary library; spending on civil legal defense (for cases in areas such as housing and immigration) was also heavily hit. In recent years the government has also cut the number of “sitting days” for judges, leaving some courtrooms empty at certain periods.