CRIMINAL DEFENCE: 16 Berkshire firms take weekend action

Scores of criminal defence solicitors in Berkshire downed tools at the weekend in protest over low rates of remuneration and plans to change pay structures.

Practitioners from 16 firms in the region refused to attend magistrates' courts in Reading, Newbury and east Berkshire between Friday evening and Monday morning.

The strike also hit police stations in Slough, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Reading, Newbury and Loddon Valley.

In a letter to the Criminal Defence Service (CDS), the firms complained that rates had not risen in real terms since 1996, adding that fees would be cut further through new telephone advice structures and changes to police station duty rates.

Andrew Cosma, senior partner at striking Middlesex firm Martin Murray & Associates, said solicitors were fed up and complained about low morale 'due to defence solicitors being blamed for so may problems in the criminal justice system'.

The Berkshire strikers also complained about plans for changes to the way solicitors are paid under the effective trial management programme; these have now been put on hold in order for the a Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) to re-negotiate with representative bodies.

'[The terms] may be revised,' a DCA spokeswoman said.

CDS head Richard Collins said it had taken into account the issues affecting defence solicitors when making changes to the criminal contracts, and was continuing discussions with the Law Society and representative groups.

'I do not believe that action which specifically targets clients is the appropriate way forward,' he argued.

'Fortunately, evidence from the East Berkshire scheme shows that the majority of requests for advice from duty solicitors were accepted over the weekend.'

Paula Rohan