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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Striking barristers to vote on pay proposals | Striking barristers to vote on pay proposals |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Barristers will be asked to vote on whether to end strike action after fresh proposals from government. | Barristers will be asked to vote on whether to end strike action after fresh proposals from government. |
| The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said its proposals to end the strike offered a further investment of £54m, including fee increases for legal aid work. | |
| The Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which represents barristers, said "constructive talks had accelerated" and proposals would be balloted on. | |
| Walkouts first started in April causing delays to cases in England and Wales. | Walkouts first started in April causing delays to cases in England and Wales. |
| In a statement released on Thursday, a spokesperson for the CBA said: "The members of the CBA will be balloted on suspending action on the basis of an interim package." | |
| The CBA has been calling for a 25% rise in legal aid fees for representing defendants who cannot otherwise afford lawyers. | |
| Members have staged intermittent walkouts since the end of June, but industrial action was ramped up in September when they began an indefinite, uninterrupted strike. | |
| Brandon Lewis, the new justice secretary, described the proposals his department had put forward as "generous" and called on CBA members to end strike action. | |
| "My priority in these discussions has been to ensure that victims aren't forced to wait longer to see justice done," he said. |