Criminal barristers are still waiting to hear if they will be balloted about action if the government does not promise to increase legal aid funding.

Lord chancellor Dominic Raab said he would have an answer by the end of March.

An independent review of criminal legal aid, which found an extra £135m per annum was needed to get the system back on track after years of neglect.

Raab recently said that rushing into criminal legal aid reform would result in further delays.

The Criminal Bar previously claimed it would ballot members over action if the government did not commit to substantially increase funding this week.

More than 90% of nearly 2,000 criminal barristers quizzed in a recent poll said the end of March was too late for a Ministry of Justice response.