Peter Lazenby
This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
THE number of Crown Court cases waiting more than two years to be heard has reached its highest number since records began, it was revealed today.
Crown Courts, which handle the most serious cases for jury trial, now have a backlog of 4,893, a 69 per cent increase from 2021 to 2022.
The Law Society of England and Wales, the regulatory body for lawyers, said that although the figures “paint a long-term picture of decline in criminal justice,” the problem could be solved “with proper investment.”
Society president Lubna Shuja said a start could be made by increasing funding to legal aid cases by 15 per cent, an increase recommended by an independent review but ignored by the government.
“The fact that there has been a 69 per cent increase, from September 2021 to September 2022, in Crown Court cases that have been waiting for more than two years, is unacceptable,” she said.
“An inefficient system is ultimately a drain on public money.
“Investment is needed across all areas of the criminal justice system to ensure progress is made on reducing the backlogs, so victims and defendants no longer face such long waits for justice.
“Access to justice is vital to maintaining public safety and a fair society.”
The Law Society has published a five-point plan to restore the criminal justice system, including the increase in legal aid, in crumbling court buildings, and in the judges, lawyers and staff who work in them.
Legal aid, which funds legal representation for people unable to afford to pay for it, was targeted for £350 million in cuts in 2013.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Whilst there was an increase in the crown court backlog during the barrister strikes, we have worked hard to reduce the caseload since.
“We are doing all we can to ensure courts are working at full capacity. Measures such as unlimited sitting days and increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers are helping restore the swift access to justice that victims deserve.”
