Member's statement: Barristers' Industrial Action
Member's statement by Mrs Pam Cameron on .
- MLA
- Mrs Pam Cameron
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 16 March 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Barristers' Industrial Action
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5448354
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Today, I highlight the human cost of the ongoing barristers' strike in Northern Ireland and its impact on victims' families across the country. Recently, I met a constituent and her only son, whose husband and father tragically lost his life in a workplace incident several years ago. Since the horror of that day, that family has been waiting patiently for justice through the courts. The trial in their case is scheduled for later this year, but, like many others, the case faces a real possibility of further delay due to the current industrial action by the legal profession. The court process has already been long and deeply painful for that family. They have attended court on numerous occasions, only to have hearings postponed. Each delay reopens wounds and prolongs the uncertainty that they must live with every day. Behind every case number is a real family; people who are trying to rebuild their lives after unimaginable loss. For them, justice delayed is not simply a procedural matter; it has a profound emotional and psychological impact. I recognise that the issues surrounding legal aid and the sustainability of the criminal justice system are complex. However, it is vital that a resolution is found as quickly as possible, so that victims and their families are not left in limbo and their pain is not unnecessarily prolonged. I acknowledge that a limited number of cases have proceeded under derogation arrangements during the industrial action. That is, of course, welcome and has ensured that some matters have been able to move forward. However, many other cases, including those involving grieving families, still face uncertainty and the real prospect of further and harmful delay. Therefore, I urge the Justice Minister to continue working urgently with the Bar Council and all relevant parties to resolve the dispute and restore normal court proceedings. Families who have already endured so much should not have to wait any longer for the justice that they deserve. I have written to the Justice Minister to request a cross-party meeting with the family in the particular case. The family is anxious to hear whether the meeting will be granted.
357 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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