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Recently retired criminal solicitor here. Well done the bar! If only solicitors could show the same gumption; instead there have always been a few who have undermined past efforts for short term gain. With a bit of solidarity (and support from that London club that is supposed to be our professional body) the Magistrates Courts could also be brought to a standstill, particularly if coordinated with HMCTS staff who are clearly unhappy. 100% support would effectively nullify the threat of contract notices from the LAB. The bar have had some pay increases in recent years and I suspect their current action will, as usual, result in a better deal for them than solicitors. I hear on the radio people talking about percentage increases but these are relatively meaningless unless put in context. Even a jaundiced man/woman on the Clapham omnibus might have some sympathy if asked to recall what he/she was earning in the early 1990s and then told that solicitors’ pay is the same as then. How many Union people keep saying their members haven’t had a pay rise for several years? I wish! Like many I suspect, my salary had not increased between 2007 and retiring (being made redundant in truth) in 2020. The Bellamy suggested rise of 15% and the Government’s response of 9% occurred before there was any increase in inflation in sight and with everyone else clamouring for an inflation proofing pay rise, inflation can only increase, so 9% will actually equate to reversion to a 1980s equivalent. Bringing the courts to a standstill is undesirable for all, particularly alleged victims and defendants. However, long term, their interests will not be served by a complete lack of representation. Time for solicitors to be as bold as the bar, and I would be saying this even if I hadn’t retired!