Courtrooms across Tayside and Fife were severely disrupted yesterday as solicitors took industrial action in protest against proposed changes to legal aid.
On the first day of their ”positive protest action,” which follows similar protests by lawyers in other parts of the country including Edinburgh and Glasgow last week, solicitors refused to handle new custody cases.
As a result, dozens of people arrested over the weekend faced large delays in being given legal advice before appearing from custody.
Public defence solicitors in Dundee handled their cases, while custodies in Angus were deferred until today.
A spokesperson for the Dundee Bar Association said the action was taken ”in protest against the Scottish Government’s decision to block access to justice for the most vulnerable members in our communities.
”Our action today has been caused by a government who have consistently refused to listen to responsible bodies involved in our criminal Justice System or heed independent impartial advice that their proposals will effectively destroy access to justice for the poor and marginalised.”
Criminal bar solicitors joined their colleagues yesterday in a protest at Perth Sheriff Court.
Douglas Lamond, spokesperson for the dean of faculty in Perth, said: ”Lawyers argue that these measures will strike at the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.”