Courtroom chaos as hundreds of lawyers strike

HUNDREDS of lawyers in Scotland will go on strike tomorrow in a protest over pay.

Members of the Glasgow Bar Association (GBA), which represents lawyers in the city, will refuse to take on custody cases, meaning suspects will languish for longer in the cells over the holiday weekend and represent themselves.

Members of Aberdeen’s Bar Association (ABA) will also refuse to represent clients tomorrow. The groups claim pay rates are already unacceptably low for legal aid work and there is no enhanced rate for holidays.

Normally solicitors provide statefunded representation for suspects, who rely on legal professionals to secure them bail and guide them through the court process. Representing themselves is likely to cause further delays.

Last night GBA president Fiona McKinnon said, following a meeting between the bar associations and Scottish Government representatives, it gave its members a vote on whether they wanted to participate in the holiday courts.

She added: ‘There was an unprecedented unanimous vote. Since holiday courts were introduced without consultation, we have made our feelings known that there is no pay equality and that is unfair.’

Two court rooms will be open at Glasgow Sheriff Court tomorrow to deal with everyone arrested over the holiday weekend.

Lawyers with the GBA – which has more than 150 members – would usually appear for clients entitled to taxpayer-funded representation. Tomorrow, the only representation available will be through two lawyers appointed via a Scottish Legal Aid Board rota, who are certain to be swamped by cases.

Ms McKinnon said any accused with a nominated solicitor who is a member of GBA ‘will be invited to self-represent’.

ABA president Ian WoodwardNutt said its members will boycott holiday courts until further notice.