I support them 100%. The criminal justice system is a mess and currently we are letting criminals walk free while victims live with a trial hanging over their heads for a completely unspecified amount of time – some even showing up on the day only to be told there isn’t a judge available to see them and it gets rescheduled for months / another year. [Here’s a good twitter thread detailing one of those cases](https://twitter.com/CourtsIdle/status/1559181975956733953).
Also adding some extra information that gives context to the strike that’s either not in the article linked or not explained very well:
>Legal aid is granted to cover the costs or partial costs of accused persons who can’t otherwise afford it. During the past 10 years the number of lawyers working in the criminal justice system has decreased with many saying they cannot make a living anymore.
> **Junior barristers in the first three years of their practice are currently earning just £12,000 per year, or £6.25 per hour.** The lack of sufficient legal aid fees has been cited by large numbers of lawyers who have quit publicly funded criminal work, which has led in turn to the formation of so-called ‘legal aid deserts’ where access to key areas of law is unavailable for large swathes of the population.
>There is also a significant backlog of cases across the country, with upwards of **358,000 still outstanding at magistrates’ courts** and upwards of **58,000 at crown courts**, with fears that the latter number may grow to as much as 70,000 by the end of summer.
> “The CBA considers it unacceptable that the Criminal Bar will be expected to continue working – including the types of hours normally remunerated as “overtime” or “shift work” in other professions – to clear this entire backlog at set rates fixed many years ago and which are now at wholly unsustainable levels.” The CBA response stated the review did not take into account the “substantial drop in average fee earnings” from criminal legal aid of 23% between 2019/20 and 2020/21. It also said it failed to look at the drop in the numbers of criminal barristers undertaking criminal legal aid work by 10% over the same period.
Best of luck to them all
It’s been a long time coming. People think this profession is so well paid, but for a lot of people it’s hard work for terribly low pay.
3 comments
I support them 100%. The criminal justice system is a mess and currently we are letting criminals walk free while victims live with a trial hanging over their heads for a completely unspecified amount of time – some even showing up on the day only to be told there isn’t a judge available to see them and it gets rescheduled for months / another year. [Here’s a good twitter thread detailing one of those cases](https://twitter.com/CourtsIdle/status/1559181975956733953).
Also adding some extra information that gives context to the strike that’s either not in the article linked or not explained very well:
>Legal aid is granted to cover the costs or partial costs of accused persons who can’t otherwise afford it. During the past 10 years the number of lawyers working in the criminal justice system has decreased with many saying they cannot make a living anymore.
> **Junior barristers in the first three years of their practice are currently earning just £12,000 per year, or £6.25 per hour.** The lack of sufficient legal aid fees has been cited by large numbers of lawyers who have quit publicly funded criminal work, which has led in turn to the formation of so-called ‘legal aid deserts’ where access to key areas of law is unavailable for large swathes of the population.
>There is also a significant backlog of cases across the country, with upwards of **358,000 still outstanding at magistrates’ courts** and upwards of **58,000 at crown courts**, with fears that the latter number may grow to as much as 70,000 by the end of summer.
> “The CBA considers it unacceptable that the Criminal Bar will be expected to continue working – including the types of hours normally remunerated as “overtime” or “shift work” in other professions – to clear this entire backlog at set rates fixed many years ago and which are now at wholly unsustainable levels.” The CBA response stated the review did not take into account the “substantial drop in average fee earnings” from criminal legal aid of 23% between 2019/20 and 2020/21. It also said it failed to look at the drop in the numbers of criminal barristers undertaking criminal legal aid work by 10% over the same period.
Best of luck to them all
It’s been a long time coming. People think this profession is so well paid, but for a lot of people it’s hard work for terribly low pay.