Lack of prosecutors threatens to worsen England and Wales’ Crown Court backlogs, Criminal Bar Association warns UK Courts A shortage of prosecutors in the UK’s criminal justice system threatens to worsen the backlogs in the country’s Crown Courts, the head of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has warned. A record number of criminal cases are now being halted due to a lack of prosecutors willing and able to work, CBA chair Kirsty Brimelow [...]
Criminal Bar Association opens ballot on plans to escalate barristers’ strike Barristers strike CRIMINAL barristers are set to vote on plans to intensify their ongoing strikes by running uninterrupted strikes indefinitely. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) will ballot its members over plans to call off its current bi-weekly strike actions and run a continuous strike from 5 September onwards. “It has become clear that a significant proportion [...]
UK’s new justice secretary Brandon Lewis to meet with Criminal Bar Association Barristers strike The UK’s new justice secretary Brandon Lewis has agreed to meet with the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) following former justice secretary Dominic Raab’s failure to meet with the barristers’ trade body. Lewis is set to meet CBA chair Kirsty Brimelow QC on Monday 12th September, after his predecessor failed to directly engage with striking barristers [...]
Criminal barristers set to vote on ending strike action following new pay offer September 29, 2022 Criminal barristers are set to vote on ending strike action following negotiations between the Criminal Bar Association and Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) today outlined a package of reforms and fee uplifts reached during the talks, which it said represented a further investment of £54 million in the criminal bar and [...]
UK criminal court backlog hits record levels December 14, 2023 The UK Crown Court backlogs have grown to its highest level on record, as cases have more than doubled in under four years. According to criminal court statistics published today, there are currently 352,945 outstanding cases in the magistrates’ courts, up 3 per cent on the previous quarter. The backlog is spiralling upwards each quarter [...]
Court delays return as emergency measures are deployed to stem prison overcrowding May 15, 2024 The legal sector was thrown into a state of chaos and confusion this morning after the government deployed emergency measures to delay court cases in response to prison and police cell overcrowding.
NAO: Crown Court so backlogged that targets are no longer achievable May 24, 2024 The Crown Court backlog is now at its highest on record resulting in the National Audit Office making clear that the Government's targets to cut are no longer achievable
New justice secretary Brandon Lewis faces calls to ‘open negotiations’ with barristers September 7, 2022 Former secretary of state for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis is set to succeed Dominic Raab as the UK’s new justice secretary. The 51-year-old MP for Great Yarmouth is set to face immediate pressure from striking barristers following calls from the chair of the Criminal Bar Association for “substantial positive movement” from the government. The appointment [...]
All rise (up)! Politicians have been silent on the criminal justice crisis – that must change June 23, 2024 The criminal justice system is at breaking point. But as the general election draws near, there has been near silence from our politicians on this crisis. Maria Ward-Brennan argues this has to change
Criminal prosecutors secure 15 per cent pay hike as part of emergency funding deal February 6, 2023 Criminal prosecutors in England & Wales will be given a 15 per cent pay hike to lure them back to court after striking an emergency funding deal. Barristers will receive the same fees for carrying out both defence and prosecution work after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) secured extra cash via a deal with the [...]