At Friday’s “Grayling Day” demonstration in London, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association Nigel Lithman QC told the audience that

an indispensable part of our democracy is the criminal justice system. It’s taken centuries to build; it is taking this government a blink of an eye to demolish.

It’s difficult, he said,

to imagine how any more damage can be done to this system; and the whole system is in revolt as to what is happening. To destroy one part of the legal system may be regarded as a misfortune; to destroy all of them looks like carelessness.

He attacked the Ministry of Justice, which he said was “inept”, “not fit for purpose” and “an embarrassment”. In contrast he said the criminal bar was “the most restrained” profession in Britain.

For us to take to the streets and close the courts – all cannot be well.

He also hinted at the justification for further action:

We are being shown no good will. So we will respond – and we too will show no good will.

2014-03-09T20:43:14+00:00