Barristers to go on strike

Barristers to go on strike: Ballot sees 94 per cent vote in favour of industrial action amid 60,000-case Covid backlog and fury at ‘chronic underfunding’ of the justice system

• Ballot saw overwhelming majority vote in favour of industrial action
• More than 60,000 cases are waiting to be heard in England and Wales 
• Barristers will refuse to go to court on behalf of colleague under the moves  

Criminal barristers have voted to take industrial action over what they describe as ‘chronic underfunding’ of the justice system.

A ballot saw 94 per cent of barristers vote in favour of the move, it was announced last night.

The bitter wrangle with ministers over fees could badly damage attempts to cut the Covid backlog of Crown court cases.

More than 60,000 cases are waiting to be heard in England and Wales, leading to excruciating delays for victims and witnesses.

Criminal barristers have voted to take industrial action over what they describe as ‘chronic underfunding’ of the justice system (stock image)

Under the moves – voted for by 1,800 members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) – barristers will refuse to go to court on behalf of a colleague.

The industrial action will begin on April 11, CBA chairman Jo Sidhu QC said.

‘We have already lost too many of our colleagues who can no longer afford to maintain their commitment to criminal work and who have left our ranks out of desperation and despair,’ he (CORRECT) said.

‘Every day we are losing more.

‘Through our labour and our goodwill, we have sustained a chronically underfunded criminal justice system on behalf of the public while suffering substantial reductions in our real incomes and exhausted by the hugely increased demands placed upon us, often for little or no reward.’

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab had asked barristers to ‘be patient’ for reforms after an independent review, published last year, called for an extra £135million a year to be spent on legal aid.

Of the CBA’s 2,400 members, 1,908 voted in the ballot with 94.34 per cent in favour of industrial action.

Of the CBA’s 2,400 members, 1,908 voted in the ballot with 94.34 per cent in favour of industrial action (stock image)

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