Industrial action premature
Date published:
The Department of Justice is surprised and disappointed that the Criminal Bar Association intends to take industrial action.
The Department commissioned a Fundamental Review of Criminal Legal Aid which was taken forward by HHJ Burgess and which the Bar engaged with. The Department is considering HHJ Burgess’ report and the associated recommendations.
The Department has also given undertakings to continue engaging with all stakeholders, including the Bar, following a Ministerial Statement which will be made in the coming weeks.
It is well-known the Department of Justice has been consistently underfunded and the fallout from such underfunding is now being realised.
The Bar is aware that the Department has been working to secure a more sustainable budget and additional funding has been secured this year to meet the current pressures.
It should be noted that pressures were at an all-time high in 2023/24 when the Legal Services Agency paid out circa £114m to legal professionals, the highest level of payment in the history of legal aid.
The Department will continue to push hard for more funding to address the underfunding issues across Justice. It is therefore premature to announce strike action at this time.
Notes to editors:
1. Legal Aid in Northern Ireland: Annual Statistics to March 2024
*Authorised Expenditure by Provider Type and Category of Service, 2023/24 -
| Category Of Service | Solicitor Firm | Barrister | Third Party Payee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Total | £29,007,004 | £23,887,921 | £69,219 |
| Criminal Courts | £26,720,798 | £23,887,921 | £69,029 |
| Criminal Advice and Assistance (PACE) | £2,286,205 | £0 | £190 |
| Civil Total | £33,877,197 | £26,847,269 | £318,582 |
| Advice and Assistance Civil | £1,488,560 | £0 | £204,490 |
| Representation Lower | £5,653,824 | £201,879 | £31,074 |
| Representation Higher | £26,387,795 | £26,065,370 | £83,017 |
| Exceptional Funding | £347,017 | £580,020 | £0 |
| Total | £62,884,201 | £50,735,190 | £387,801 |
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