Hill announced the rise last week. It will take effect in eight weeks and applies to the backlog, achieving parity between prosecution and defence fees.
In her Monday message, Criminal Bar Association chair Kirsty Brimelow KC said: ‘The increased funding is a significant positive move in the trudge to a functioning criminal justice system.’ She thanked criminal barristers for providing evidence of cases being adjourned due to lack of prosecution barrister.
Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: ‘There needs to be equality of arms with defence solicitors too.
‘There is no reason why the Treasury cannot also provide a similar remedy for defence solicitors, as set out in Lord Bellamy’s independent report. This must be a priority to address the seriously damaging inequality that has led to more than 1,000 duty solicitors leaving the profession since 2017, many of them to the Crown Prosecution Service.’
