Law Society president I Stephanie Boyce welcomed the improvement in magistrates’ courts but expressed concern about the Crown Court backlog.
‘With some trials being delayed until 2023, victims, witnesses and defendants are being denied timely access to justice. With the easing of pandemic restrictions, physical court space is now less of a problem, but we are seeing the ability to run criminal courts at capacity hit by a lack of judges, court staff, prosecutors and defence lawyers.’
Boyce said years of underfunding and cuts meant sustained investment was now needed across the criminal justice system.