THERE was slight disruption to proceedings at Selkirk Sheriff Court this week, as lawyers across Scotland staged a fourth day of boycotts in protest over proposed changes to the legal aid system.
Custody cases at every sheriff court in Scotland experienced delays after solicitors from the country’s bar associations refused to represent people who were arrested over the weekend.
Selkirk solicitor Iain Burke told The Wee Paper that the town’s sheriff court had also been affected.
“A couple of people had to represent themselves and their cases were continued to January so that they could seek advice.”
The disruption to the work of other Scottish courts was more severe and Mr Burke is of the view it could be set to get worse.
“Court business was significantly delayed in some other places and it’s an indication of the kind of thing which will happen again in my view,” he said.
Mr Burke has previously told The Wee Paper that legal aid reforms present a significant risk of a miscarriage of justice for the most vulnerable in society – those who can’t afford to pay for justice.