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North’s criminal barristers step up action

Criminal barristers in the North are withdrawing their services from all current Crown Court cases from today (5 January) in a dispute over fees. 

Members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) had voted overwhelmingly in favour of the escalation last month, with 89% backing the move. 

Barristers had begun withdrawing from certain categories of case in late 2024, saying that fees for criminal work had not increased for 20 years, despite the increased workload and complexity of cases.

Delay 

In December 2024, the North’s justice minister Naomi Long announced an interim fee rise for Crown Court work. 

Although the North’s Bar Council welcomed the move, it said that it fell “significantly short of 20 years of accumulated inflationary pressures”. 

Barristers have also criticised delays in delivering the rise, which was not expected to come into effect until this month.