Criminal Barristers to go on Strike

Post author By Dom Watts
Post date 22nd August 2022
Categories In Law

Criminal barristers in England and Wales have voted in favour of an all-out strike.

The walkout by members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) in England and Wales will begin on 5 September 2022 and will be go on an indefinitely and uninterrupted.

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) vice chairwoman Kirsty Brimelow QC said this is a ‘last-resort action’ over a demand for less money than it costs the Government for the courts to sit empty.

Justice Minister Sarah Dines said: ‘This is an irresponsible decision that will only see more victims face further delays and distress.

‘The escalation of strike action is wholly unjustified considering we are increasing criminal barristers’ fees by 15%, which will see the typical barrister earn around £7,000 more a year.’

The median pay for a junior barrister was £12,700 per year.

According to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), more than 6,000 court hearings have been disrupted a result of the dispute over conditions and Government-set fees for legal aid advocacy work.

Courts in England and Wales are already dealing with a large backlog of cases. Data from HM Courts and Tribunal Service at the end of April show there were 58,271 cases waiting to go to trial.

The Criminal Bar Association CBA is asking for a 25% rise in pay for legal aid work, when they represent defendants who could not otherwise afford lawyers.

The Bar Standards Board regulates barristers and specialised legal services businesses in England and Wales in the public interest.

Maybe the Criminal Barristers should retrain in Family Law and earn fees of £4500.00 +VAT like barrister Gavin Howe does for a 2 day hearing ?

Read the reviews of Gavin Howe Barrister

“He is awful, underhanded and should not be practising law!”