Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
The backlog in the most serious criminal cases in England and Wales has reached an all-time high and is predicted to rise even further. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show that the number of trials not heard by the end of September 2020 has doubled that of the previous year, with 73,000 still unheard. This means that in some cases, particularly sexual assault and rape cases, victims reporting crimes won’t see the suspects tried for up to four years, further exacerbating their trauma.
While Crown Courts dealing with the most serious cases have been able to deal with them more quickly, the backlog is increasing because the police and prosecutors are charging more crimes than the criminal courts have the capacity to handle. The rise in re-offending rates is also contributing to the backlog of cases. Approximately one quarter of all cases listed in the three months up to September had to be pushed back.
The proposed solution is Sir Brian Leveson’s review of the criminal courts review, which will explore the introduction of “intermediate courts” between magistrates and Crown Court judges. The idea would involve a jury being replaced by a single district judge and two community magistrates for many middle-ranking cases. The review will also consider granting magistrates broader rights to preside over more cases and increase their sentencing powers.
The Magistrates’ Association welcomed the review, supporting the proposal for an intermediate court which had been put forward in 2001. However, Mary Prior KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, who represent barristers that are central to Crown Court cases, believes that how much money is spent on justice must be a key part of the review. The criminal justice system is in dire need of investment and reform to deliver swifter justice for victims, witnesses and defendants. The reviews will be necessary steps towards realising these aims, but significant investment is needed to rectify the current problems
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.