Defence barristers have started their industrial action this morning by refusing to come to court.

The lawyers are in dispute about legal aid funding and are refusing to take new work or cover for colleagues whose cases have overrun.

A part-heard attempted murder trial at Maidstone Crown Court was unable to go ahead after lawyers went down with Covid but a jury in a murder trial were chosen.

The prosecuting barrister Simon Taylor QC will open the case on Wednesday morning.

Other hearings were adjourned as no defence barristers were present to represent defendants because of the industrial action.

The Criminal Bar Association has reported that more than 81% of its members who voted in a ballot supported the action.

One case which did go ahead was a 24-year-old woman from Abbey Wood in south-east London pleaded guilty to causing death by driving dangerously on the M2.

The crash happened on February 16 last year.

Now Annabelle Moulett is facing a jail sentence after admitting causing the death of Neville Lifton has been given an interim driving ban.

Judge Julian Smith told her: "You must be prepared for an immediate jail sentence."

She was given bail until September 12 and a probation report was also ordered to be prepared.

Jo Sidhu QC and Kirsty Brimelow QC from the CBA said: “This extraordinary commitment to the democratic process reflects a recognition amongst criminal barristers at all levels of call and across all Circuits that what is at stake is the survival of a profession of specialist criminal advocates and of the criminal justice system which depends so critically upon their labour.

“Without immediate action to halt the exodus of criminal barristers from our ranks, the record backlog that has crippled our courts will continue to inflict misery upon victims and defendants alike, and the public will be betrayed.”

The CBA said members have backed a plan for 14 days of action between June 27 and July 22.

It is expected to increase by one day each week until a five-day strike from Monday, July 18 to Friday, July 22.

In April, defence barristers voted to "work to rule" and refused to cover each other’s cases - work known as 'returns' - for colleagues at Maidstone and Canterbury Crown Court.

The backlog of cases - which has been made worse during the Covid crises - has resulted in some trials taking three or four years to be heard.