'We Are Witnessing The Slow Motion Collapse Of Our Criminal Justice System,' Labour MP Says |
Justice secretary and deputy PM David Lammy walks with Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, Sue Carr.
In September of last year, a woman from Gloucestershire abandoned her case in court after the judge adjourned it for a further two years. She had been sexually assaulted by a taxi driver in 2022 and was left in tears when she heard the news.
By then, her mother and ex-partner had already given excruciating evidence and testimony. The delay was simply too much to bear. She felt she had no choice but to pull out.
In Gloucester Crown Court, there were over 100 sexual offence cases still waiting to be heard as of last year.
Is it acceptable that victims are forced to wait like this?
As a former lawyer who represented the NHS, I’m well acquainted with waiting lists. But what we are witnessing across our criminal justice system is risking something far more serious.
The current backlog stands at nearly 80,000 and could rise to 100,000 by 2028. To put it simply, cases are being added faster than they can be removed.
During the pandemic, as the number of Covid-19 cases started to rise exponentially, the system could no longer contain the spread. The only choice left to take was a national lockdown.
On the same trajectory, our courts now face irrecoverable breakdown as the numbers continue to........