The criminal bar’s indefinite strike over legal aid funding could be called off sooner than expected after criminal bar chiefs confirmed that the new lord chancellor has agreed to meet them.

Barrister Brandon Lewis MP, appointed lord chancellor and justice secretary by prime minister Liz Truss on Tuesday, and the Criminal Bar Association will have an ‘introductory’ meeting next week.

CBA chair Kirsty Brimelow QC said: ‘I look forward to meeting the lord chancellor and hope that this introductory meeting urgently will be followed by opening of negotiations to resolve the criminal barristers’ action of stopping work on cases as a result of the crisis in the criminal justice system.’

Asked about ministerial meetings since the criminal bar began its action in April, Brimelow told the House of Commons justice select committee on Tuesday that the association repeatedly asked to meet Lewis’s predecessor, Dominic Raab.

Criminal bar chiefs met James Cartlidge MP a handful of times prior to his resignation as justice minister in July. They met Sarah Dines MP, who joined the ministerial team in July. ‘It was very early on… she said she was catching up on her brief and she was in listening mode. But then there was nothing further. We asked for further meetings and also asked her for a meeting with Dominic Raab but unfortunately that didn’t come to pass,’ Brimelow said.

‘There have been no operative meetings to discuss, to drill down, to find points of commonality, to reach some agreement. There’s been nothing. And we’ve been pushing for those meetings. Because none of the barristers actually want to not be in court. They are all suffering as well because they are self-employed, they are not earning any money.’

On what would be enough to end the strike, Brimelow told the committee that the bar's action is decided by CBA members and a 'substantial positive movement from the government', which includes applying the 15% fee uplift to cases in the backlog, would need to be put to them.

The criminal bar's action has gradually escalated over the last few months, beginning with 'no returns' in April. An indefinite strike began this week.

Latest statistics published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service show the Crown court backlog continuing to rise sharply. The backlog stood at 59,270 in June, when the criminal bar undertook a two-day court walkout, rising to 59,992 in July, when the number of 'days of action' escalated.

Linking to the latest statistics, Lewis tweeted: 'Hundreds more victims seeing justice delayed - these statistics show the impact of the bar strike. I'll be meeting the Bar Council, the Law Society and the Criminal Bar Association to emphasise the need to get back to work and get justice moving again.'