Thread by @TheLawSociety

⚖️We warn that the #CriminalJustice system will collapse unless the UK government funds all parts of the system equally, as government announced a £54 million payoff for barristers to end their strike 1/7

I. Stephanie Boyce @LawSocPresident said: “The criminal justice system is in crisis and the government is falling way short of addressing it. You cannot fix the problems in the system unless you fund all parts of it effectively" 2/7

“Reaching a compromise with criminal barristers but not providing parity for solicitors is short-sighted given it is solicitors who make up the greater part of the criminal defence sector" 3/7

"The independent review the government commissioned made clear solicitors are in an even worse financial situation than their counterparts" 4/7

“Solicitors are the backbone of the criminal justice system, advising their clients from the first moment at the police station, through to passing of a sentence" 5/7

“If solicitors do not get parity on the bare minimum 15% recommended by Lord Bellamy, the Ministry of Justice will have made it clear that there is no future in criminal defence practice and

*we will advise our members not to undertake this work*" 6/7

"No responsible organisation could truthfully advise otherwise.

📢"We are meeting ministers urgently today" 7/7

Find out more about: Law Society considers advising members not to undertake criminal defence work

lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-vis…

⚖️ “If solicitors do not get parity on the bare minimum 15% recommended by Lord Bellamy… we will advise our members not to undertake this work”

@LawSocPresident tells the @lawsocgazette as we respond to the MoJ’s announcement on #CriminalLegalAid

lawgazette.co.uk/news/law-socie…

@LawSocPresident @lawsocgazette ⚖️We respond to the MoJ's announcement. @LawSocPresident tells the @MailOnline:

“If solicitors do not get parity on the bare minimum 15% recommended by Lord Bellamy... we will advise our members not to undertake this work”

dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/artic…

@LawSocPresident @lawsocgazette @MailOnline .@BBCNews speaks to @LawSocPresident I. Stephanie Boyce about our reaction to the MoJ’s #CriminalLegalAid statement.

She warned we would advise our members *not to undertake criminal defence work if solicitors’ fees do not rise in line with barristers*

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-630729…

@LawSocPresident @lawsocgazette @MailOnline @BBCNews 🎧⚖️Stuart Nolan, chair of our criminal law committee, speaks to Henry Bonsu @bonsuman of @TimesRadio about what the #CriminalLegalAid deal could mean for barristers and solicitors.

Listen to Stuart from 22:43

thetimes.co.uk/radio/show/202…

I. Stephanie Boyce @LawSocPresident speaks to the @Independent about the MoJ’s #CriminalLegalAid statement.

“If solicitors do not get parity on the bare minimum 15% recommended by Lord Bellamy… we will advise our members not to undertake this work”

independent.co.uk/news/uk/cba-la…

UPDATE #CriminalLegalAid in an urgent meeting with the MoJ, we warned that there is no future in criminal defence for solicitors without the 15% uplift recommended by its own independent review.

We are considering suggesting that solicitors do not undertake criminal defence work

Why can’t solicitors go on strike?
Solicitors have different professional obligations & relationships with clients compared to barristers, inc a duty of care that starts with the solicitor’s role in the case, for criminal cases this can often be as early as in the police station

Duty solicitors also have legal obligations to the Legal Aid Agency, which could mean that strike action would risk breaching their contracts.

Find out what solicitors can do

lawsociety.org.uk/topics/crimina…