Using judges to fix courts backlog puts justice itself at risk

SIR BRIAN Leveson's recent report recommends that thousands of criminal cases, which would normally be tried by a jury, should instead be handled by judges alone. Commissioned by the Lord Chancellor to propose solutions to the mounting courts backlog, the report spans 388 pages. But in truth, these proposals aren’t all that new.

- Esther Krakue

They echo Sir Robin Auld’s recommendations from more than two decades ago. The only difference? The system has deteriorated even further since. The scale of the problem is staggering. The backlog in crown courts is pushing 80,000 cases.

Some current cases aren’t scheduled for trial until 2029. Victims are left in agonising limbo, defendants languish in prison or on remand awaiting their day in court, and witnesses memories start to fade.

Around 17,000 individuals are currently on remand, making up 20% of the prison population. The longer justice is delayed, the less likely it is to be delivered at all.

But here’s the thing: justice is justice. We can’t offer people a watered-down version, because successive governments have failed in their most basic duty to uphold law and order. The approaching crisis has been evident for years.

The fact our politicians are more interested in handing over sovereign territory or keeping the obese and anxious at home instead of maintaining our justice system tells us everything we need to know about their priorities.