Commenting on the announcement from the Criminal Bar Association that its members have voted to accept the offer from the Ministry of Justice, Mark Fenhalls KC, Chair of the Bar Council, said:
“We are pleased that the criminal Bar has voted to accept the offer from the Ministry of Justice. The offer was the culmination of many months of work and pressure, and unprecedented personal sacrifice by barristers. The disruption of the work of the criminal courts has caused huge stress to all those who work in the justice system, and to the public which depends upon this vital public service.
“We remain committed to continued constructive engagement with the Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system. We turn now to the work of the ‘Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board’, and the evidence-based work which will be critical to ensuring further future investment, so that barristers and solicitors can continue practising criminal work in the years ahead.”