Criminal defence barristers gather outside the Bristol Crown Court in support of strikes for the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) who are taking action over Government set fees for legal aid advocacy work. Picture date: Tuesday September 6, 2022.
DOMINIC RAAB has snubbed three written requests to meet with striking criminal barristers, MPs were told today.
Criminal Bar Association (CBA) chairwoman Kirsty Brimelow said that she still has “no idea” why the Justice Secretary has refused to meet them since industrial action was launched in April, saying that no explanation was given on each occasion.
Barristers launched their first day of indefinite all-out strike action on Monday over demands for a 25 per cent increase in legal aid fees, after a fall in their real earnings.
Barristers have rejected a 15 per cent offer, arguing that it will be years before CBA members would benefit as it only applies to new cases. The current criminal court backlog stands at around 60,000 cases.
Ms Brimelow told the Commons justice committee it was “deeply depressing” that it has got to the point where barristers have resorted to indefinite strike action.
“What’s brought it to this is years of barristers waiting with really poor pay,” she said, explaining the wage for junior members of the criminal bar is below the minimum wage.
A quarter of junior barristers have quit the bar in the last five years, she continued, saying this had led to “unprecedented” cases where criminal trials had to be adjourned because there was no barrister to defend them, or to prosecute.
Ms Brimelow said that there was a “lack of trust” among lawyers and this had likely been underpinned by a lack of engagement from ministers.
On Monday, barristers held rallies outside crown courts in Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and outside the Supreme Court in London.
