Criminal barristers suspend walkout and vote to accept government’s fees offer

updated on 02 July 2019

Criminal barristers have voted to accept the government’s latest fees offer after threatening to stage a mass walkout in July.

In a ballot of Criminal Bar Association (CBA) members, 60% of barristers voted to suspend the threat of direct action in favour of the government’s proposals. Previously, 95% of barristers had voted in favour of a one-day walkout.

As the Law Gazette reports, the government’s interim plan will raise all prosecution fees to the level of the advocates’ graduated fee scheme, while promising to push forward its consideration of defence barristers’ concerns over fees for cracked trials and cases with large amounts of paperwork.