Why is the Crown Prosecution Service recruiting corporate lawyers who couldn’t find a post after qualification rather than drawing from an experienced pool of defence practitioners, asks Jonathan Black
When a well-respected prosecutor suffers a nervous breakdown and attempts to murder his spouse, it is alarming on many levels. It is well reported that stress levels within the legal profession are at an all-time high, as we read regular reports of breakdowns, and worse.
While Lawcare and other organisations can provide counselling and support, it is not enough. This is symptomatic of a deeper underlying chaos within the system. It has been suggested that Mr Farrimond was struggling to cope with the new digital case system. I can’t comment on how it works from a prosecutor’s point of view.