Scottish lawyer's hold nation-wide strike action THE rift between the Scottish Government and defence lawyers over planned legal aid reforms has deepened, with protest action by solicitors hitting all sheriff courts. Bar associations the length and breadth of the country took part, saying they regretted the action but had little alternative in the face of a "crisis" threatening their profession. As on previous Mondays, the lawyers refused to appear for new clients in custody courts. They are angry at proposals which would see people with disposable income of £68 or more making contributions to defence costs. Also, the government wants law firms to be responsible for collecting the contributions. Cameron Tait, president of the Edinburgh Bar Association, which has taken the leading role in the protests, said: "This action has been taken by a profession that feels that the system of contributions in its current form will impede seriously access to justice for the working poor in Scotland and will represent another blow to solicitors practising criminal law. The profession is in crisis and the future of an independent criminal bar is in jeopardy. Last week, all criminal practitioners in Edinburgh resigned from the Scottish Legal Aid Board police station duty scheme, which relies on solicitors to be available to provide legal advice to an accused before and during police interviews. The latest action involved bar associations in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Falkirk, Stirling, Alloa, Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Hamilton, Perth, the Borders, Paisley, Ayr, Stonehaven, Dumfries, Dumbarton, Kilmarnock, Airdrie, West Lothian, Haddington, Banff and Peterhead.