This paper examines how continued reductions in fee levels for criminal legal aid work affect recruitment and retention in the English publicly funded criminal defence profession. Data from 29 qualitative interviews with English defence solicitors and barristers are analysed to explore the impact of these reductions on recruitment of new lawyers and retention of current lawyers. On the basis of these findings, also building on research conducted by lawyer professional associations, I argue that a combination of cuts to legal aid, the resulting working patterns and low morale has led to a position where the criminal defence profession, as we know it, is unsustainable.

中文翻译：

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公共资助的刑事辩护是否可持续？英国刑法专业的法律援助削减、士气、保留和招聘

本文研究了刑事法律援助工作费用水平的持续降低如何影响英国公共资助的刑事辩护专业的招聘和保留。分析了对英国辩护律师和大律师的 29 次定性访谈的数据，以探讨这些减少对招聘新律师和留住现有律师的影响。基于这些发现，以及律师专业协会进行的研究，我认为，法律援助的削减、由此产生的工作模式和士气低落导致刑事辩护行业处于我们所知的境地。 , 是不可持续的。