Criminal barristers’ pay offer in the dock

Criminal Bar Association barristers protesting outside Manchester crown courts on the first day of strike action last week. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

The government says a 15% pay rise for criminal barristers would result in an average increase of £7,000 a year in their earnings, which means their current average earnings are £46,700 (Report, 27 June). That’s less than half the average earnings of a GP, for instance. Both groups are highly trained professionals undertaking a vital job for society and working long hours under considerable stress.

But take a more direct comparison. Last year Linklaters, the City law firm where Dominic Raab qualified as a solicitor, declared an average profit share for each equity partner of £1.77m. Are they really worth 38 times more than lawyers prosecuting serious crimes and defending those facing the prospect of a lengthy loss of liberty?
Andrew Gore
Linton, Cambridgeshire

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