‘We’re on less than minimum wage’ – Leeds barristers to walk out this morning indefinitely over pay row

The financial dispute has triggered several walk outs in recent months, but members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) voted to down tools this morning and vow not to return to work until the Government listen to their demands.

Chris Moran, who works for Park Square Barristers in the city, says it mean thousands of criminal cases will be shelved and will effectively “grind the system to a halt”.

With a huge backlog of cases already caused by Covid, it means defendants, victims and witnesses could be waiting another year or more for trials and sentencings.

Mr Moran admits there are is a tiny percentage of top-end criminal lawyers who earn six-figure salaries, but says that the general public “would be surprised” to find the majority are scraping a living.

He said: "We are not salaried, we are paid by the case.

"It’s supposed to reflect the amount of work we have to put in.

"The amount of work per case has gone through the roof, which means pay has gone down.

“With the amount of hours spent on each case, we are earning less than minimum wage and that’s the reality of it.

"I think people will be surprised by the amount of hours put in for the money we get back.”

Mr Moran says that 25 per cent of barristers have left the industry in recent years or moved into more lucrative areas of law.

Junior barristers earn about £12,500 a year, which Mr Moran says is forcing many out.

He says barristers have grown frustrated following a Government report last year that raised major concerns over pay and the “hemorrhaging of talent” from criminal law, so he says ministers are acutely aware of the problem.

The Government has since offered a 15 per cent pay rise, but only on new cases, meaning barristers will receive no additional money from the mounting backlogged cases.

The CBA has said the terms are not good enough and that industrial action is their last resort.

Mr Moran says the strike action could have a devastating knock-on effect.

He said: “You are looking at over a year (in case delays).

"Even if the strike is only short, there’s already a backlog of about 60,000 cases in the system, and these new cases will go to the back of queue.

“It will hit defendants, witnesses and complainants very hard.

"Cases will go back into the system at the end of the backlog, so it could be another year they have to wait."

He says people held on remand could be waiting another year to have their day in court, and could be tempted into taking decisions without legal advice, risking lengthier jail terms.

"In large parts it will grind the system to a halt, and I have to admit it is designed to do that,” he added.

"We have our justifications. It’s unprecedented for us to do this.

“I know it will cause absolute havoc and major disruption.

“But if we don’t do this now, then we just need to accept that we will never do anything and our profession will slowly die.”