*/
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 sets out a busy calendar for the rest of the year
Why Virtual Assistants Can Meet the Legal Profession’s Exacting Standards
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Examined by Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
Time is precious for barristers. Every moment spent chasing paperwork, organising diaries, or managing admin is time taken away from what matters most: preparation, advocacy and your clients. That’s where Eden Assistants step in
AlphaBiolabs has announced its latest Giving Back donation to RAY Ceredigion, a grassroots West Wales charity that provides play, learning and community opportunities for families across Ceredigion County
Despite increased awareness, why are AI hallucinations continuing to infiltrate court cases at an alarming rate? Matthew Lee investigates
The proscribing of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act is an assault on the English language and on civil liberties, argues Paul Harris SC, founder of the Bar Human Rights Committee
Come in with your eyes open, but don’t let fear cloud the prospect. A view from practice by John Dove
Anon Academic explains why he’s leaving the world of English literature for the Bar – after all, the two are not as far apart as they may first seem...
Review by Stephen Cragg KC
.tmb-carlisting.png?sfvrsn=c60e2f3d_1){kind=logo}
