The “cab rank rule” is an important principle which safeguards the rule of law and ensures fair access to justice. Action such as this undermines the independence of the legal profession and is fundamentally at odds with the idea that every person is entitled to a fair trial. The impact of this action on the Crown Prosecution Service will be negligible, not least because many of those “refusing” to prosecute are not in fact qualified to do so. The Crown Prosecution Service utilises a mix of in-house advocates and agent prosecutors alongside members of the self-employed Bar. This flexibility ensures access to a large pool of high-quality advocates and I am confident that these cases will be prosecuted without undue delay. Both the Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association have issued robust responses here: The cab rank rule and legal representation (barcouncil.org.uk) and here: Chair’s Monday Message – 27.03.23 – Criminal Bar Association