Welsh justice underfunded

The justice system in Wales is underfunded with lower per capita spending than in England, the Wales & Chester Circuit has warned. In its submission to the Commission on Justice in Wales’s call for evidence, the circuit highlighted the erosion of legal aid in civil and family cases and a lack of investment in the courts system infrastructure, as well as a lack of funds in criminal justice. Access to justice is hampered by a combination of court closures and poor public transport, it said, and it is not always possible for Welsh speakers to conduct their cases in the Welsh language due to practical limitations. The Bar Council said it shared the circuit’s concerns.