Victims of crime ‘held to ransom’ by criminal Bar strike, Long says

Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister has said she is “perplexed” at what she has termed a decision by the Criminal Bar to “hold victims to ransom” by striking.

Criminal barristers started the strike action last Monday in a long-running dispute over the fees paid for legal aid work.

The escalated action has effectively halted Crown Court cases involving people who required legal aid.

The barristers have argued it is a “last resort”, and that legal aid fees are worth less than half what they were worth in 2005 when they were set.

Naomi Long said a recent 16% uplift will amount to an annual increase of £11.5 million in legal aid fees, which comes in the context of her department’s budget being “over £220 million worse off today than if it had merely kept pace with inflation”.

She insisted further evidence was needed for further increase.

She told MLAs that in one week alone 10 trials, 57 arraignments and 22 sentencing hearings were directly affected by the strike action.

She highlighted the families of murder victims Natalie McNally and Chloe Mitchell as among those waiting for justice for their loved ones.

Ms Long said all options are on the table, including negotiating potential derogations, but her preference would be to see resolution with the Criminal Bar Association (CBA).

Making an oral statement to MLAs in the Assembly on Monday, she said many “will be equally perplexed”.

“The decision of the CBA to effectively hold victims of crime and the wider justice system to ransom in order to leverage further significant fee increases is at odds with reality,” she said.

“It is at odds with the reality of what has taken place since my return to office, with the reality of what has been achieved, with the reality of what the CBA has themselves agreed, and it is very much at odds with the reality of the trauma and suffering of the victims and witnesses who are being impacted by this unreasonable and unwarranted withdrawal of services.

“The suffering of victims of crime should never be used as leverage.

“Trauma should never be a bargaining chip; however, that feels very much like the current situation.”