In a foreword to their joint report, published this week, ‘The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the criminal justice system’, the chief inspectors said the justice system ‘continues to operate at unacceptable levels’. They said the average a case has been outstanding by the time a Crown Court trial begins is 282 days, which ‘has a damaging impact on justice itself’.
‘The burden on police, the CPS and court staff of the live caseloads and backlogs in the courts is immense. Ensuring, over extended periods, that cases are and stay ready for trial, that serious or complex cases and custody cases are prioritised, and that victims and witnesses are kept on board is very challenging.’
In non-London areas, the ‘availability of external advocates is a real issue… the pandemic resulted in barristers leaving the self-employed Bar and even as things return to normal, many have not returned’, the report said.
Law Society president I Stephanie Boyce said: ‘It is particularly compelling to see the four HM Chief Inspectors—who have no vested interest when it comes to defence practitioners—echoing our concerns about the urgent need for investment in defence practice if there is to be any prospect of clearing the court backlogs.
‘Sustained investment is needed across the criminal justice system and, as the report points out, the plan must be coordinated for the system to recover.’
Official figures for March show a drop in the backlog of 500 cases to 57,838 outstanding cases in the Crown Court.
Professor Chris Bones, chair of CILEX, said: ‘Allowing prosecutors who trained via the CILEX route to become Crown Prosecutors would help alleviate these pressures.’
View the full report here.
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