HUNDREDS of barristers demonstrated outside courts in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, London and Manchester yesterday, on the second day of their indefinite strike.
Over 100 were outside the Supreme Court, in Parliament Square, London.
Kristy Brimelow QC told News Line: ‘In the first three years of practice, junior criminal barristers who are in courts are being paid a median income of £12,200 per annum.
‘Barristers here, both senior and junior, including QCs, are going to courts for hearings where they are being paid £126 and this is before expenses and taxes.
‘All barristers are self-employed so sick pay, pension, holiday pay, all has to come out of those £126.’
Junior barrister Anisha Kiri spoke of her disappointment with the criminal justice system.
‘As visible as the state of things are Mr Dominic Raab, not a lot seems to be very clear to you.
‘I was called to the bar in 2020. My parents fled the war-torn country of Sri Lanka, where there was a genocide and no justice. They came to the UK in the hope of a better life.
‘And therefore, the UK justice system is something I really treasure, and it is the reason why I became a barrister. I’ve worked really hard to get here and I needed my family’s support.
‘I never imagined that after I became a barrister, I would continue to need my family’s support and be working even harder.
‘The stresses of this job go so much deeper than the job description Mr Raab. I am required to travel all over the UK to various different hearings, and the travelling I completely understand, but in many cases junior barristers are paying more for their travel than their actual fee for the case.
‘My earnings are stagnant. Each hearing requires a significant amount of preparation. Our clients, facing serious charges, with their lives depending on it, need a barrister who knows the ins and outs of their case.
‘Our clients place their utter faith in us, so we must represent them the best we can. I understand the need for preparation which I am more than willing to work towards.
‘However, not being compensated for this preparation is illogical.’
Mark Watson, a member of the bar remarked: ‘In front of the Royal Courts of Justice, some time ago, I gave some advice to Dominic Raab. I advised him to talk to us. I argued for the work of the criminal bar and my colleagues.
‘The problem with one lawyer giving another lawyer advice is quite often that advice falls on deaf ears. I can only hope that the new Lord Chancellor has better hearing than the last time.’
He added: ‘The Ministry of Justice advertised four days ago for the Public Defender Service. They advertised a salary of £50,000. The average pay for a criminal barrister at the Independent Bar is £47,000. That’s after expenses, but before tax. So cut that a bit more.
‘That figure tells you everything you need to know. What the advert doesn’t include is paid holiday, sick-pay, pension and I’m sure a whole host of other benefits.
‘Whoever you are, the new Chancellor coming, honour the commitment and all of these people up and down the country that make the criminal justice system work. Talk to us, please. Any less than even a conversation is an insult.
‘And we would like to talk to you.’
Liam Walker QC told News Line as they assembled: ‘I’m here to demonstrate on behalf of the barristers who have been forced to strike due to the government’s resistance to honour the basic recommendation of the Criminal Legal Aid Review.
‘Successive governments have cut the criminal justice system to the point where it’s no longer fit for purpose.
‘The rhetoric coming from the government is they have offered a 15% rise in barristers’ fees. That is incorrect.
‘They have refused to implement the basic minimum recommended by the report authored by Lord Bellamy.
‘The issue isn’t about barristers’ fees, it’s about the rule of law – how the government have undermined it and how their refusal to implement the recommendations of their own report has broken the criminal justice system.
‘Our action is now indefinite because it’s no longer sustainable for people to do legal aid work.’
Junior criminal barrister Natalie Bird said: ‘This week is the week when our action becomes indefinite.’