Courts throughout England and Wales fell silent on Jan. 6 as trial lawyers staged an unprecedented walkout in protest of planned cuts to legal aid that could see them work for just £20 ($33) per day.
More than 1,000 courts were affected as barristers took action designed to pressure the government into dropping proposals to slash £220 million ($360 million) from the U.K.’s annual £2 billion ($3.3 billion) legal aid budget, which funds legal advice for individuals unable to afford professional representation in criminal and some civil cases. (Barristers are specialist advocates who represent clients in court, typically operating independently from stand-alone “chambers” instead of law firms.)
