"Today I am calling time on the courts emergency that has left victims of the most serious crimes waiting years for justice and pushed the justice system to the brink of collapse. For many victims, justice delayed is often justice denied. Some give up on the process, while others have no confidence justice will be served if they report a crime, and perpetrators never held to account. This simply cannot go on we must be bold. I will set out a fast and fair justice plan that gives victims and survivors the swift justice they deserve."
"Reports suggesting that measures could go as far as scrapping juries for all but the most serious crimes - such as rape and murder - were met with opposition by legal professionals. However the deputy prime minister is expected to plough ahead with bold reforms to tackle the crown court backlog, which has soared to a record high of 78,000 cases, with trials listed as far as 2030. Ministers have warned this could rise to 100,000 by 2028 if nothing is done, with a growing number of victims giving up on seeking justice because of the lengthy delays."
The government will introduce sweeping court reforms that remove juries from some offences and increase judge-only trials to clear a crown court backlog. The backlog has reached 78,000 cases and could rise to 100,000 by 2028, with some trials listed as far ahead as 2030. More cases will be diverted to magistrates' courts or to a proposed intermediate court where a judge would hear cases with two lay magistrates. Juries would be reserved for the most serious indictable-only offences such as murder, rape and manslaughter and certain either-way offences. Ministers say faster processes are needed because victims are abandoning cases amid long delays.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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