https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/18/uk-crime-agency-pursue-…

Rob Richardson, the head of the NCA’s modern slavery and human trafficking unit, said the agency was in “target identification” mode.

Richardson said he was aware of the difficulty and sensitivity of the NCA’s examination of the legal profession due to the protections, known as privilege, given to communications between a lawyer and their clients.

He said the agency would work with, among others, the Solicitors Regulation Authority in an effort to discipline or strike off non-compliant lawyers where prosecutions were not possible.

He said: “I know this sounds like a cliche, but not one agency can tackle those kind of issues, so when we’re looking at tackling lawyers we do have to be careful because there are aspects of legal privilege.”

Richardson added: “We will often see individual circumstances or individual accounts, where it is believed that, you know – I’m going to be careful not to use the word ‘corrupt’ – a non-compliant solicitor is advising in an organised crime group.

I have no idea what a "non-compliant solicitor" is and I doubt Rob Richardson does either.

The NCA has new legislative tools to use as it seeks to target solicitors it believes are working with trafficking gangs. Section 63 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 has made it an offence to make a referral of a case of modern slavery in “bad faith”.

“It is early days and we’re looking at what our tactical options are,” Richardson said. “When we are testing new legislation as well, we’re often in a position of creating legal precedents. So that’s why the process might take a long time.”

Richardson said pursuing lawyers was just one option as evidence was being gathered by officers at the agency.

This is just another example of the lazy approach that is taken to everything by UK state actors. Don't look at what the underlying legislation is, don't look at evidential standards being applied, don't bother to go after difficult targets like the actual slavers and traffickers. Much easier to target regulated professionals. 

It's exactly the same thinking as around Brexit. Don't try to change how UK works to mitigate the downsides of EU membership and get more benefit from the upsides - instead demand that the EU change and when it doesn't, leave.