*/
Victims of crime are at the mercy of a ‘postcode lottery’ in a criminal justice system that is close to breaking point, MPs warned.
A report from the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the system was ‘bedevilled by long standing poor performance including delays and inefficiencies, and costs are being shunted from one part of the system to another’.
Highlighting ‘damning statistics’, it found that ‘about two-thirds of crown court trials are delayed or do not go ahead at all and only 55% of those who have been a witness say they would be prepared to do so again’.
The report said the ‘overstretched and disjointed’ system does not adequately support victims and witnesses and said that timely access to justice is too dependent on where they live.
It noted ‘critical failings in management from the top down’ and said that the Ministry of Justice ‘has been too slow to recognise where the system is under stress, and to take action to deal with it’.
PAC chair, Meg Hillier, said: ‘An effective criminal justice system is a cornerstone of civil society but ours is at risk.’
Bar Chairman, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, said the situation is ‘a consequence of the 26% cuts since 2010-2011’ and called for justice to be ring-fenced from future cuts.
See further' Westminster Watch', in this month's issue.
Victims of crime are at the mercy of a ‘postcode lottery’ in a criminal justice system that is close to breaking point, MPs warned.
A report from the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the system was ‘bedevilled by long standing poor performance including delays and inefficiencies, and costs are being shunted from one part of the system to another’.
Highlighting ‘damning statistics’, it found that ‘about two-thirds of crown court trials are delayed or do not go ahead at all and only 55% of those who have been a witness say they would be prepared to do so again’.
The report said the ‘overstretched and disjointed’ system does not adequately support victims and witnesses and said that timely access to justice is too dependent on where they live.
It noted ‘critical failings in management from the top down’ and said that the Ministry of Justice ‘has been too slow to recognise where the system is under stress, and to take action to deal with it’.
PAC chair, Meg Hillier, said: ‘An effective criminal justice system is a cornerstone of civil society but ours is at risk.’
Bar Chairman, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, said the situation is ‘a consequence of the 26% cuts since 2010-2011’ and called for justice to be ring-fenced from future cuts.
See further' Westminster Watch', in this month's issue.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse
Kindness Ambassadors – coming to a courtroom near you! Valerie Charbit, Nicola Shannon KC and Professor Robin Banerjee update readers on the second phase of the project examining, and promoting, the impact of kindness and how it can fit into an adversarial system
