Criminal barristers take industrial action.

[AudiMan9000]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61062627.amp

Nearly 2,500 barristers who are essential to the criminal justice system in England and Wales are starting industrial action over concerns about legal aid funding.

They will refuse to step in at the last minute to pick up court appearances or preparatory work for colleagues whose cases are over-running.

It stems from an unresolved row with the government over funding.

The government said the action would make existing backlogs worse.

Surprised there wasn’t already a thread on this given the potential impact on our criminal justice system. What are people’s views?

[105.4]

AudiMan9000 said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61062627.amp

What are people’s views?

That the Criminal Justice System is pretty broken.

The prisons are a financial black hole for the taxpayer, run not by those who wish to implement rehabilitation, but by (generally), cowards with designs on becoming politicians, leading to the majority of those released from incarceration going on to commit yet more crime instead of living a productive, taxpaying life. Meanwhile our elected representatives refuse to touch the issue with a barge pole as they don’t consider it to be a vote winner.

As for those doing Legal Aid funded criminal defence work, in general, I have little good to say about them. The phrase “corrupt” springs rapidly to mind.

The criminal justice system, just like most large Government Departments, is rotten to the very core.

[valiant]

Seems to rely on a hell of a lot of goodwill by the legal profession to make it work and they’ve simply had enough.

Contrary to what many think, they don’t earn shedloads and government rates are pretty st for the amount of effort involved.

Good luck to them.

[Johnnytheboy]

Perhaps the government should put up NI again to pay for everything the barristers want?

Oh silly me, I meant the government should just magic some money out of the air, with no thought of how to pay for it.

[deckster]

Johnnytheboy said:

Perhaps the government should put up NI again to pay for everything the barristers want?

Oh silly me, I meant the government should just magic some money out of the air, with no thought of how to pay for it.

Or, perhaps, the government should listen to those who know what they are talking about and reconsider the way that they have systematically run our criminal justice system into the ground.

A good friend of mine (who holds a 1st class law degree from Cambridge) is seriously struggling - he has seen his income hugely reduced for years now and simply cannot afford to take on legal aid cases any more. Taking into account preparation time he is paid considerably under minimum wage for any legal aid funded case.

[Johnnytheboy]

deckster said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Perhaps the government should put up NI again to pay for everything the barristers want?

Oh silly me, I meant the government should just magic some money out of the air, with no thought of how to pay for it.

Or, perhaps, the government should listen to those who know what they are talking about and reconsider the way that they have systematically run our criminal justice system into the ground.

A good friend of mine (who holds a 1st class law degree from Cambridge) is seriously struggling - he has seen his income hugely reduced for years now and simply cannot afford to take on legal aid cases any more. Taking into account preparation time he is paid considerably under minimum wage for any legal aid funded case.

OK, so put up taxes again, yes?

[deckster]

Johnnytheboy said:

deckster said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Perhaps the government should put up NI again to pay for everything the barristers want?

Oh silly me, I meant the government should just magic some money out of the air, with no thought of how to pay for it.

Or, perhaps, the government should listen to those who know what they are talking about and reconsider the way that they have systematically run our criminal justice system into the ground.

A good friend of mine (who holds a 1st class law degree from Cambridge) is seriously struggling - he has seen his income hugely reduced for years now and simply cannot afford to take on legal aid cases any more. Taking into account preparation time he is paid considerably under minimum wage for any legal aid funded case.

OK, so put up taxes again, yes?

It's £135M. A rounding error in our national budget.

But yes, if we need to. Some things are important enough for us all to pay for.

[valiant]

Johnnytheboy said:

deckster said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Perhaps the government should put up NI again to pay for everything the barristers want?

Oh silly me, I meant the government should just magic some money out of the air, with no thought of how to pay for it.

Or, perhaps, the government should listen to those who know what they are talking about and reconsider the way that they have systematically run our criminal justice system into the ground.

A good friend of mine (who holds a 1st class law degree from Cambridge) is seriously struggling - he has seen his income hugely reduced for years now and simply cannot afford to take on legal aid cases any more. Taking into account preparation time he is paid considerably under minimum wage for any legal aid funded case.

OK, so put up taxes again, yes?

Maybe if Rishi wasn’t so quick to write off over £4bn in covid fraud they’d be money to go towards properly funding the legal system.

Money can always be found for pet projects (How’s that new royal yacht coming on?) but something as fundamental as the justice system is left wanting.

[biggbn]

Must read thread titles more carefully. I thought this was going to be about really bad coffee makers withdrawing their services...

[greygoose]

valiant said:

Johnnytheboy said:

deckster said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Perhaps the government should put up NI again to pay for everything the barristers want?

Oh silly me, I meant the government should just magic some money out of the air, with no thought of how to pay for it.

Or, perhaps, the government should listen to those who know what they are talking about and reconsider the way that they have systematically run our criminal justice system into the ground.

A good friend of mine (who holds a 1st class law degree from Cambridge) is seriously struggling - he has seen his income hugely reduced for years now and simply cannot afford to take on legal aid cases any more. Taking into account preparation time he is paid considerably under minimum wage for any legal aid funded case.

OK, so put up taxes again, yes?

Maybe if Rishi wasn’t so quick to write off over £4bn in covid fraud they’d be money to go towards properly funding the legal system.

Money can always be found for pet projects (How’s that new royal yacht coming on?) but something as fundamental as the justice system is left wanting.

Indeed, white collar fraud is rarely investigated as too complex, why should fraudsters in the Covid pandemic get a free pass?
We need proper investigation of crimes of all types and appropriate court action with legal representation, the courts should not be a funfair for the rich to intimidate the authorities and journalists to prevent their crimes being exposed.

[anonymous-user]

Johnnytheboy said:

deckster said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Perhaps the government should put up NI again to pay for everything the barristers want?

Oh silly me, I meant the government should just magic some money out of the air, with no thought of how to pay for it.

Or, perhaps, the government should listen to those who know what they are talking about and reconsider the way that they have systematically run our criminal justice system into the ground.

A good friend of mine (who holds a 1st class law degree from Cambridge) is seriously struggling - he has seen his income hugely reduced for years now and simply cannot afford to take on legal aid cases any more. Taking into account preparation time he is paid considerably under minimum wage for any legal aid funded case.

OK, so put up taxes again, yes?

Criminal barristers get paid closer to nurses than doctors. It's quite incredible they've held it together this long. There aren't that many of them so I really don't think you'd need to raise taxes!