The Faculty of Advocates Criminal Bar Association has told Holyrood's Justice Committee that Scottish Government legal reforms could lead to "chaos, delay and disaster".
Tony Lenehan KC, the president of the body, told MSPs that plans for juryless trials in rape cases had resulted in "disquiet" among lawyers.
He said: "If Parliament decides to implement something that is so widely unpopular there’s bound to be a practical consequence.
“It’s a struggle just now to resource the courts that are currently sitting.
“As people are driven out of the profession that’s a reality, so you’ve got to be super careful with massive changes that what you don’t do is, with the best intentions, deliver chaos, delay and disaster through people just not wanting to do the job.”
READ MORE: Juryless rape trial pilot in doubt as lawyers prepare to boycott
The pilot for a single-judge trial was suggested by Scotland's second most senior judge, Lady Dorrian, in a review that informed the new Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Earlier this week, The Herald revealed that the Scottish Solicitor Bar Association (SSBA), which represents defence lawyers, is set to ballot members on the controversial proposal, with a view to boycotting the experiment.
Sheila Webster, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said the organisation had not adopted the position of boycott. However, she said there was “high risk” of one taking place.
“I think the strength of feeling across the profession there's a very strong sense of concern, specifically about the single-judge pilot.”
Speaking to the PA, Simon Brown of the SSBA said: “There’s a strength of feeling about this that is unprecedented.”
He added: “If we boycott it, unless the Scottish Government want to implement wholescale changes to the criminal justice system … then the pilot is dead in the water without us.”
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