Criminal barristers in Northern Ireland have extended their boycott of Crown Court cases for another four weeks, demanding higher fees for legally-aided work. Justice Minister Naomi Long has committed to a 16% increase but insists there are processes to follow, calling the barristers' demands 'unreasonable' and 'impossible'. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher also expressed concern about the impact on victims, warning that delays could lead to them withdrawing support for prosecutions.
Stormont’s justice minister has accused criminal barristers in Northern Ireland of making “unreasonable” and “impossible” demands in an ongoing industrial dispute over fees.
Members of the Criminal Bar Association have not been appearing in legally-aided Crown Court cases in January, and on Tuesday evening they announced the action will continue through February. “I think most people would find a 16% uplift in their fees quite a significant move from the department.” “I cannot simply click my fingers today and make that happen tomorrow. That is not a reasonable demand. And my concern is that, as we have sought to meet the Bar’s concerns, they have added more and more impossible demands to the list.
He continued: “We need to get back to work. We need to make sure that victims are supported, that justice happens more speedily than it currently does in Northern Ireland and that’s, I think, a place we all want to be.”
CRIMINAL JUSTICE LEGAL AID NORTHERN IRELAND STRIKE BARRISTERS
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