*/
Courts across the country could grind to a halt if the newly elected government proceeds with plans to reform criminal legal aid contracting and barristers vote for direct action in protest.
Before the general election, retired Court of Appeal judge, Sir Anthony Hooper, called on barristers to withdraw their labour if a Conservative government was elected.
Speaking at the Rally for Justice, organised by solicitor groups, he said: “If the Conservatives come back into power, it’s revolution time. We have to stop helping them and stop working.”
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has balloted its 4,000-strong membership on whether they would support direct action if the government refuses to abandon the changes that would reduce the number of criminal solicitors’ firms from 1,600 to 527.
The action proposed is the “No Returns” policy of not covering for double-booked barristers – employed effectively over fee cuts last year – and “Days of Action”, effectively closing the courts as barristers withdraw their labour.
CBA chairman, Tony Cross QC, said the proposal will “damage deeply access to justice and deal a colossal blow to the self-employed Bar”.
Tony Cross said it would cause the closure of hundreds of law firms and put many solicitors out of jobs.
He said the change would put the independent in “jeopardy”. Work would “haemorrhage away” from the Bar as the large remaining firms increasingly retain advocacy in-house in order to make a profit.
Standards will plummet and “justice for all will suffer,” he said, while the government’s changes, motivated by “ideological nihilimsm”, will have no financial benefit.
Courts across the country could grind to a halt if the newly elected government proceeds with plans to reform criminal legal aid contracting and barristers vote for direct action in protest.
Before the general election, retired Court of Appeal judge, Sir Anthony Hooper, called on barristers to withdraw their labour if a Conservative government was elected.
Speaking at the Rally for Justice, organised by solicitor groups, he said: “If the Conservatives come back into power, it’s revolution time. We have to stop helping them and stop working.”
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has balloted its 4,000-strong membership on whether they would support direct action if the government refuses to abandon the changes that would reduce the number of criminal solicitors’ firms from 1,600 to 527.
The action proposed is the “No Returns” policy of not covering for double-booked barristers – employed effectively over fee cuts last year – and “Days of Action”, effectively closing the courts as barristers withdraw their labour.
CBA chairman, Tony Cross QC, said the proposal will “damage deeply access to justice and deal a colossal blow to the self-employed Bar”.
Tony Cross said it would cause the closure of hundreds of law firms and put many solicitors out of jobs.
He said the change would put the independent in “jeopardy”. Work would “haemorrhage away” from the Bar as the large remaining firms increasingly retain advocacy in-house in order to make a profit.
Standards will plummet and “justice for all will suffer,” he said, while the government’s changes, motivated by “ideological nihilimsm”, will have no financial benefit.
The new Bar Council earnings report presents a collective challenge for the self-employed Bar, remote hearings are changing and Bar Conference is back next month
Launch of the Institute of Neurotechnology and Law
Paul Magrath of ICLR recalls the chequered history of law reporting prior to the 1865 establishment of a Council of Law Reporting
Leading drug, alcohol and DNA testing laboratory, AlphaBiolabs, has made a £500 donation to North West charity Child Concern as part of its Giving Back campaign
Gail Evans, Technical Trainer at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest trends in illicit drug use as seen in the laboratory, from designer drugs to ‘unexpected’ substances in a donor’s sample
Louise Crush explores the value you can measure in monetary terms alongside the many non-tangible benefits to working with a financial adviser
Most of us like to think we would risk our career in order to meet our ethical obligations, so why have so many lawyers failed to hold the line? asks Flora Page
If your current practice environment is bringing you down, seek a new one. However daunting the change, it will be worth it, says Anon Barrister
Creating advocacy opportunities for juniors is now the expectation but not always easy to put into effect. Tom Mitcheson KC distils developing best practice from the Patents Court initiative already bearing fruit
Let’s hear it for the assessors, says Dame Anne Rafferty of the KC Selection Panel. And to make silk assessors’ lives a little easier when applicants come calling in May, Dame Anne fields some commonly asked questions
Equality of opportunity needs to start much earlier – at primary school. Jessica Powers’ lessons learnt driving diversity and inclusion in barrister recruitment and retention