This crisis is truly awful and the growing backlog of criminal cases will have all sorts of knock-on effects, such as impacting the already overloaded prison service, apart from the unfair delay to those affected, in receiving justice.
By applying any increase in fees to Barristers only for new cases, is grossly unfair since there is an existing backlog, but this still means those cases will be processed in the future, and thus the fee increase must apply to them as well as all future cases.
I see the government’s position is very cynical and I see it as an abrogation of their responsibilities, especially in the light of their self-styled stance as standing for law and order.
Let me say that I fully support Barrister’s efforts, even if it means industrial action. I am aware that industrial any action might be unlimited in time. I must say that I agree with that position, action must be taken by the government to solve this crisis.
