Barristers Start Indefinite Strike Action Over Pay In The UK

Barristers in England and Wales are starting an indefinite, uninterrupted strike, in an escalation of industrial action over pay which began in April.

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) walkout is likely to worsen existing court delays, with tens of thousands of cases already waiting to go to trial.

The CBA wants a 25% rise in legal aid fees for representing defendants who could not otherwise afford lawyers.

Justice Minister Sarah Dines has called the escalation “irresponsible”.

But Kirsty Brimelow, who chairs the CBA, says it is an attempt to “hold up the criminal justice system from complete collapse”.

Although the all-out strike formally started on Monday, members of the CBA have staged intermittent walkouts since the end of June, escalating to week-long strikes on alternate weeks throughout August.

Barristers will hold a series of rallies in support of the strike today, gathering outside the Supreme Court in London and at court buildings in Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds.