Criminal barristers in England and Wales will in effect go on a continuous strike from today after their row with the Government over pay intensified.
Members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), who have been walking out on alternate weeks, have voted in favour of an indefinite, uninterrupted strike.
The all-out strike in effect begins when industrial action resumes today, although the official start date is next Monday, since the walkouts continue in the meantime.
Last week Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of doing ‘absolutely nothing’ to resolve disputes as it emerged Justice Secretary Dominic Raab was on holiday as the ballot result was announced.
Pictured: Criminal defence barristers on picket lines outside Nottingham Crown Court to support the ongoing Criminal Bar Association (CBA)
Ministry of Justice figures show more than 6,000 court hearings have been disrupted by the dispute over conditions and Government-set fees for legal aid advocacy work.
Barristers are due to receive a 15 per cent fee rise from the end of September, earning £7,000 more a year.
But there is anger the rise will not be immediate and doesn’t apply to backlog cases.
Criminal barristers in England and Wales will in effect go on a continuous strike from today after their row with the Government over pay intensified
Mr Raab has accused barristers of ‘holding justice to ransom’, saying: ‘My message to the CBA is simple. We are increasing your pay.
‘Now your actions are only harming victims, increasing the court backlog.’
But Claire Waxman, Victims’ Commissioner for London, said: ‘The only ones responsible for holding “justice to ransom” are those who have failed to fund a functioning justice system.’