“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to work with the Criminal Bar Association.
This is a critical time for our profession; we are working in the worst professional conditions we have ever known.
The combination of inflexible listing, demanding working practices, and poor remuneration has meant that many skilled and experienced advocates are leaving the profession.
The expectations placed upon counsel to work longer hours for less reward have increased yearly, and the remuneration we receive for that work does not account for the many hours we put in. The junior end of the profession remains in a very fragile state; many are simply unable to make ends meet.
The inflexibility of listing practices and long working hours impacts us all, but in particular means that many women and those with caring responsibilities leave the profession as they encounter difficulty balancing their professional and family commitments.
The knock-on effect is that we discourage diversity and lose many talented advocates from our profession.
We must ensure we are paid and treated well; those prosecuting and defending criminal cases deserve to feel valued and respected.
I look forward to working with the Executive, Chair and Vice-Chair of the CBA to tackle these issues.”
