UK May Allow Judges to Fire Defense Lawyers

How's this for a big can of worms:

From AFP:

LONDON (AFP) - Judges will be given the power to fire defence lawyers to shorten the length of trials and to save costs under government proposals, The Times reported.

If judges believed lawyers were unable to cope with the volume of work involved in handling a big case, at any point before or during the trial, they will be allowed to dismiss them, in proposals published six days ago that were not accompanied by any press notice.

The defendant would then have three weeks to find new representation, and would be barred from choosing a lawyer already involved in the case.

Critics maintain it strips a basic legal right of defendants under United Kingdom laws - to be able to choose their own lawyers.

We can only hope that kind of legal nonsense stays on that side of the Pond.