The Criminal Bar Association, which represents attorneys who prosecute and defend persons accused of crimes in England and Wales, announced that its members had approved a proposal to go on strike “indefinitely” beginning September 5.
The criminal barristers of England and Wales have agreed to escalate their strike action.
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which represents attorneys who prosecute and defend persons accused of crimes in England and Wales, announced that its members have approved a proposal to go on strike “indefinitely” beginning September 5.
They join train workers, teachers, and public servants in supporting or considering industrial action in the coming months, as wage awards trail behind the highest rate of inflation in four decades.
Inflation-adjusted average incomes for CBA members have decreased by 28% since 2006, according to the CBA, which accuses the government of refusing to engage in negotiations “aimed at reaching a fair settlement.”
Beginning at the end of September, criminal barristers will receive a 15% fee increase, resulting in an annual increase of £7,000.
However, there has been outrage that the proposed salary increase will not take effect immediately and will only apply to new cases, not those now waiting to be heard in court.
Jennifer Devans-Tamakloe, a criminal attorney, told that the 15% increase “does not come close” to the 28% decline in income over the past 16 years.
She stated that the 25% raise that barristers are seeking is “fair, justifiable, proportional, and required.”
“As self-employed folks, we must remember that – I am in Wolverhampton today, which is not my home court,” she noted.
“I pay for my transportation here in advance. No one is assisting me with this.
“Now, if you are traveling across the country, as members of my chambers and many other chambers do, you must suffer those costs up front and perform all the preliminary work that is simply not paid by the fees you receive after proceedings.
The government must comprehend the difficulties criminal defense attorneys face.
Members of the CBA have gone on strike every other week, but a vote was held to determine whether to escalate the action.
The fourteen-day poll concluded at midnight on Sunday, and the results were released on Monday morning: 2,273 members voted, with an overwhelming majority – around 80% – favoring an unbroken strike.
Vice-chair of the CBA Kirsty Brimelow QC stated that this was a “last resort”
“The solution is an infusion of funds into the 60,000 pending cases that barristers are currently working on, which will cost the government only £1.1 million per month,” she told.
Currently, it costs significantly more for courts to be empty.
Given the impending fee increase, the minister of justice, Sarah Dines, deemed the increment “entirely unwarranted.”
She stated, “This is a reckless choice that will only result in additional delays and suffering for victims.”
Previously, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) stated that it had “repeatedly explained” to the CBA that backdating pay would require a “fundamental change” in how fees are paid, adding: “That reform would cost a disproportionate amount of taxpayers’ money and would take longer to implement, meaning barristers would have to wait longer for payment.”
The previous head of public prosecutions, however, accused the government of doing “absolutely nothing” to handle such labor issues.
According to Ministry of Justice data, more than 6,000 court sessions have been impacted by the conflict over conditions and government-set costs for legal aid advocacy work.
During the first 19 days of industrial action, from 27 June to 5 August, 6,235 court cases, including 1,415 trials, were disrupted, according to information disclosed under freedom of information legislation.
