Minister agrees to all recommendations on review of criminal legal aid

The Justice Minister Naomi Long has agreed to accept all recommendations made by the accelerated review of criminal legal aid.

In a written ministerial statement, Long said she will now take the necessary steps to implement an additional 8.66% increase to all criminal legal aid fees.

This could potentially lead to an end to the long-running barrister strike in Northern Ireland.

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) held a meeting with Long about the issue on Wednesday and said its members will now meet to consider their response.

The strike, which began on 5 January, means no Crown Court cases involving people who require legal aid can proceed while the dispute continues.

The chair of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland, Donal Lunny KC, previously said the strike was called because crown court legal aid fees have not risen in 20 years.

In a statement, the CBA said it has been "intensively engaging" with the Department of Justice in relation to criminal legal aid fees since 2024.

It confirmed that it participated in the accelerated review of criminal legal aid which concluded on 27 April.

It added that during Wednesday's meeting Long outlined her department's position in relation to the review's recommendations to CBA committee members.

"The wider CBA membership will meet to consider its response as soon as possible," the statement said.

Legal aid for criminal court cases allows representation.

These cases usually take place in the magistrates' courts or Crown Court.

The CBA previously stated that legal aid rates for lawyers, when adjusted for inflation, have plummeted between 47% and 58% since 2005.

In November 2024, criminal barristers began withdrawing services in certain categories of criminal cases, such as refusing instructions in murder and manslaughter cases.