The unofficial strike by thousands of criminal solicitors and barristers in protest over cuts to legal aid has been suspended amid signs they could be edging towards agreement with the Justice Secretary, Michael Gove.
Solicitors launched the action on 1 July in response to a second 8.75 per cent cut in legal aid fees by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
They had been boycotting new cases, forcing some defendants to appear without legal representation, including two men accused of murdering a pensioner who had to represent themselves in court in Sheffield last week.
The lawyers said they were calling off the strike as a “gesture of goodwill”, but stressed that no deal had been struck with Mr Gove.
Their move came after barristers’ and solicitors’ leaders held a fresh round of talks at the MoJ. They said in a joint statement: “Although no offer to settle the issue has yet been made, as a gesture of goodwill and recognising the importance of this engagement, we firmly believe that the time is right to suspend the action with immediate effect. By doing so we hope the relationship which has now been established will continue into the future.”
But there was a backlash among some legal aid lawyers against the decision to suspend the action.
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The MoJ said that it welcomed the move and looked forward to “continuing to work constructively with the professions”.
The 8.75 per cent reduction followed a previous 8.75 per cent cut last year as the ministry attempts to find savings from its budget.
Mark Fenhalls, the chairman-elect of the Criminal Bar Association, said the MoJ’s plans represented an “existential threat” to the justice system. He added: “Solicitors and barristers must continue, even at this late stage, to try to persuade officials and politicians that there are viable alternatives.” Michael Gove's memorable moments
Solicitors’ leaders are also taking soundings over whether legal firms could withdraw their bids for legal aid contracts under a new system being rolled out by the MoJ.
As the action intensified, the MoJ’s legal service, the Public Defender Service, which has around 3o lawyers, has been forced to provide emergency cover as cases back up in police stations. It insisted that disruption to the courts had been minimal, but solicitors claimed the action was causing chaos in the criminal justice system.
