Truss, who took office this week, served as Justice Secretary for 11 months from July 2016 in Theresa May’s government, so should be familiar with issues affecting the legal profession although there have been four Justice Secretaries since her tenure. Former Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, lost his post this week with barrister and former Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis taking over the role. Former Attorney-General Suella Braverman has been appointed Home Secretary.
Law Society president I Stephanie Boyce called on Truss to respect the rule of law at home and with international partners, and to do ‘a complete rethink’ of the Bill of Rights Bill which in its current form ‘would disempower people in Britain while giving the state more unfettered authority’.
Boyce urged Truss to support small law firms faced with rising energy costs, and to ‘immediately implement’ the minimum 15% criminal legal aid rate increase recommended by the Criminal Legal Aid Review.
Criminal Bar Association (CBA) members began an indefinite strike this week over legal aid fees for defence work. Meanwhile, magistrates’ court staff are due to begin nine days of strike action next week over the rollout of HM Courts & Tribunals Service’s ‘Common Platform’ digital case management system, which trade union PCSU officials say is so flawed it is having a ‘negative impact on members’ health, safety and welfare’. The IT system, which has cost £236m as of the end of March 2021, is now live in 143 courts with further rollouts planned up until February.
CBA chair Kirsty Brimelow QC called on the new Justice Secretary to open negotiations with the CBA ‘as soon as they come into office’.
Brimelow said: ‘The current commitment of only 15% increase on fees and only on new cases—where payment will be received at the end of 2023 and beyond—barely earmarks £35m for criminal barristers.
‘There must be a floor that no government can dig below in the future. Barristers in criminal law provide a public service.’
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