2022 British barristers' industrial action

2021–present United Kingdom
cost-of-living crisis
A foodbank donation point in Sainsbury's, Slough, in June 2022
Background
Industrial action
Barrister and TV personality Shaun Wallace addresses a rally supporting the industrial action outside the Supreme Court, London, 11 July 2022

On 14 March 2022, the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) in England and Wales voted to undertake industrial action protesting against stagnant fees with 94% of criminal barristers in favour. The industrial action consisted of refusal to accept returns—substitution of a new barrister, often at the last minute, when another of them is unavailable to make a trial date—in Advocates' Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) (legal aid)-funded cases in the Crown Court. The action began on 11 April 2022.[1][2][3] Almost 2,500 people are participating in the action.[4][5] The CBA did not consider the initial action a strike because its members are under no obligation to accept returns, which it calls "a gesture of goodwill to prop up the criminal justice system".[2][6] Two months later, in June 2022, barristers began an open-ended strike every other week based on a CBA ballot in late May. In October 2022, during the premiership of Liz Truss, barristers voted to end the strike following a deal with then-Secretary of State for Justice, Brandon Lewis.[7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Garden Court was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Why are criminal barristers on strike and what is no returns action?". ITV News. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference week was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Fouzder, Monidipa (11 April 2022). "Point of no returns: barristers begin legal aid action". Law Gazette. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Criminal barristers vote to end strike over pay". BBC News. 10 October 2022. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.