*/
Protest action by junior barristers over legal aid fees has been postponed after the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) organised a second round of meetings to discuss the way forward.
Around 200 barristers of 0-12 years’ Call signed an open letter to CBA Chair, Chris Henley QC just before Christmas. The letter stated that they are in favour of direct action in protest over the recent amended reforms to the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS), which they said is ‘not fit for purpose’.
‘We are haemorrhaging talent… Junior juniors are voting with their feet,’ and ceasing legal aid work or quitting the Bar because of the poor fees, they warned.
The barrister behind the Twitter account @AbusedLawyer had organised a ‘day of action’ in January for barristers to protest outside the Ministry of Justice instead of attending court.
All proposed action was suspended after the CBA issued a statement telling members that further meetings will take place to discuss the way ahead. ‘At present we have no mandate for further action but the clear signs are that we need to consult the membership again,’ said Henley.
‘We do not rule out days of action to demonstrate just how frustrated the Bar is,’ he said, stressing that ‘unity is imperative’.
‘We need a clear objective and a strategy to deliver it. Fragmented action with no plan, as a small group seem to be advocating, will undermine us and takes us nowhere.’
Henley said the ‘unhappiness’ being publicly expressed by juniors was ‘unsurprising’ given the ‘fundamental flaw’ in the AGFS scheme. The cuts, he said, must be reversed to protect for the future a high quality, diverse and independent Bar.
Protest action by junior barristers over legal aid fees has been postponed after the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) organised a second round of meetings to discuss the way forward.
Around 200 barristers of 0-12 years’ Call signed an open letter to CBA Chair, Chris Henley QC just before Christmas. The letter stated that they are in favour of direct action in protest over the recent amended reforms to the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS), which they said is ‘not fit for purpose’.
‘We are haemorrhaging talent… Junior juniors are voting with their feet,’ and ceasing legal aid work or quitting the Bar because of the poor fees, they warned.
The barrister behind the Twitter account @AbusedLawyer had organised a ‘day of action’ in January for barristers to protest outside the Ministry of Justice instead of attending court.
All proposed action was suspended after the CBA issued a statement telling members that further meetings will take place to discuss the way ahead. ‘At present we have no mandate for further action but the clear signs are that we need to consult the membership again,’ said Henley.
‘We do not rule out days of action to demonstrate just how frustrated the Bar is,’ he said, stressing that ‘unity is imperative’.
‘We need a clear objective and a strategy to deliver it. Fragmented action with no plan, as a small group seem to be advocating, will undermine us and takes us nowhere.’
Henley said the ‘unhappiness’ being publicly expressed by juniors was ‘unsurprising’ given the ‘fundamental flaw’ in the AGFS scheme. The cuts, he said, must be reversed to protect for the future a high quality, diverse and independent Bar.
Chair of the Bar reflects on 2025
Q&A with criminal barrister Nick Murphy, who moved to New Park Court Chambers on the North Eastern Circuit in search of a better work-life balance
Revolt Cycling in Holborn, London’s first sustainable fitness studio, invites barristers to join the revolution – turning pedal power into clean energy
Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, reflects on how the company’s Giving Back ethos continues to make a difference to communities across the UK
By Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
AlphaBiolabs has made a £500 donation to Sean’s Place, a men’s mental health charity based in Sefton, as part of its ongoing Giving Back initiative
Professor Dominic Regan and Seán Jones KC present their best buys for this holiday season
Little has changed since Burns v Burns . Cohabiting couples deserve better than to be left on the blasted heath with the existing witch’s brew for another four decades, argues Christopher Stirling
Six months of court observation at the Old Bailey: APPEAL’s Dr Nisha Waller and Tehreem Sultan report their findings on prosecution practices under joint enterprise
Despite its prevalence, autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood in the criminal justice system. Does Alex Henry’s joint enterprise conviction expose the need to audit prisons? asks Dr Felicity Gerry KC
With automation now deeply embedded in the Department for Work Pensions, Alexander McColl and Alexa Thompson review what we know, what we don’t and avenues for legal challenge
