Category: Crown Court

Barristers accuse ministers of rushing release of pre-recorded video evidence – The Guardian

Posted September 9th, 2022 in barristers, budgets, criminal justice, cross-examination, Crown Court, delay, fees, industrial action, Ministry of Justice, news, rape, sexual offences, victims, video recordings, witnesses by sally

‘Barristers have accused ministers of ignoring a crisis in the criminal justice system by continuing to roll out pre-recorded video evidence for rape survivors in England and Wales amid a strike by advocates. The policy, allowing complainants of offences including modern slavery to be cross-examined before trial in front of a limited number of people, was extended to five more crown courts on Friday, taking the total to 63. Three-quarters of courts are covered and all will be by the end of the month.’

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The Guardian, 9th September 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Barristers strike: ‘The system is falling apart and victims are let down’ – BBC News

Posted September 5th, 2022 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, demonstrations, fees, industrial action, legal aid, mental health, Ministry of Justice, news, remuneration by sally

‘As many defence barristers begin an indefinite strike over pay, the BBC spoke to a barrister about her day-to-day work in the “falling apart” criminal justice system and to an alleged victim of sexual abuse caught up in the backlog of cases.’

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BBC News, 5th September 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Barristers start indefinite strike action over pay in England and Wales – BBC News

Posted September 5th, 2022 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, demonstrations, fees, industrial action, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, remuneration by sally

‘Barristers in England and Wales are starting an indefinite, uninterrupted strike, in an escalation of industrial action over pay which began in April.’

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BBC News, 5th September 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dad tells of teen daughter’s long wait for rape trial – BBC News

Posted August 31st, 2022 in budgets, child abuse, children, coronavirus, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, families, news, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘The father of a 15-year-old girl, who has been waiting two years for her rape trial, has told the BBC about the devastating impact of court delays.’

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BBC News, 31st August 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court ‘chaos’ seeing criminals go free, victims’ commissioner warns, as barristers strike – The Independent

Posted August 30th, 2022 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, domestic violence, industrial action, news, remuneration, victims by sally

‘Court “chaos” is resulting in criminals going free, the victims’ commissioner has warned, as barristers move to an all-out strike. Record backlogs, which are already seeing cases scheduled late in 2024, are expected to be worsened significantly by a continuous walkout starting on Tuesday that will bring most crown court hearings to a halt in England and Wales.’

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The Independent, 29th August 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

It tears barristers like me apart to strike, but the government has left us no choice Simon Spence – The Guardian

Posted August 24th, 2022 in barristers, budgets, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, demonstrations, fees, HM Courts Service, industrial action, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“The walkout in England and Wales is not merely about pay: it is about a criminal justice system that has been left to crumble.”

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The Guardian, 22nd August 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Barristers vote for all-out strike from 5 September – The Independent

Posted August 22nd, 2022 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, fees, industrial action, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics, victims by sally

‘Criminal defence barristers are to go on an all-out strike from next week, bringing the majority of crown court cases to a grinding halt.’

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The Independent, 22nd August 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Law Commission to undertake review of the appeals system – Law Commission

Posted August 8th, 2022 in appeals, attorney general, Criminal Cases Review Commission, criminal justice, Crown Court, Law Commission, news by sally

‘The Law Commission of England and Wales has launched a wide-ranging review of the laws governing appeals for criminal cases.’

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Law Commission, 5th August 2022

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Solemn sentencing is no circus as cameras enter English courts – The Guardian

Posted July 29th, 2022 in criminal justice, Crown Court, homicide, media, news, reporting restrictions, sentencing by sally

‘Almost 100 years after a ban on cameras in criminal courts was enshrined in law, the first broadcast from an English crown court went out on Thursday and is likely to have left many viewers asking: “Why has it taken so long?”’

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The Guardian, 28th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Crown court sentencing remarks to be televised for first time – The Guardian

Posted July 27th, 2022 in Crown Court, media, news, reporting restrictions, sentencing by sally

‘The Old Bailey will be opened up to cameras on Thursday as sentencing remarks from a crown court case in England and Wales are broadcast for the first time.’

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The Guardian, 27th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘The system is in crisis’: barristers make their case as strike begins – The Guardian

Posted June 28th, 2022 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, industrial action, legal aid, news by sally

”Usually one of the busiest courts in the country, the corridors of Manchester crown court were unusually quiet.’

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The Guardian, 27th June 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

New pilots to boost support for rape victims in court – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 17th, 2022 in bills, cross-examination, Crown Court, mental health, Ministry of Justice, news, pilot schemes, rape, sexual offences, victims, video recordings by sally

‘Rape victims will receive enhanced support at 3 Crown Courts under a new pilot scheme launched by the government today (16 June 2022) as part of efforts to drive up prosecutions and convictions.’

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Ministry of Justice, 16th June 2022

Source: www.gov.uk

Speech by the Lord Chief Justice: Slynn Lecture – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted June 17th, 2022 in coronavirus, criminal justice, Crown Court, judges, solicitors, speeches by sally

‘Speech by the Lord Chief Justice: Slynn Lecture.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary , 16th June 2022

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Rape courts pilot in England dismissed as ‘gimmick’ amid low conviction rates – The Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2022 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, Ministry of Justice, news, pilot schemes, rape, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘The announcement of three specialist courtrooms to prosecute rape cases has been dismissed as a “gimmick” that does not address the chronic underfunding of the justice system that led to a fall in convictions.’

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The Guardian, 16th June 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Barristers to be balloted on possible walkouts in row over legal aid rates – The Guardian

Posted June 13th, 2022 in barristers, budgets, criminal justice, Crown Court, fees, industrial action, Law Society, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, solicitors, statistics by sally

‘Barristers are to be balloted this weekend on escalating industrial action over legal aid rates as figures reveal the number of crown court cases adjourned because of a shortage of lawyers has increased nearly fivefold over the decade.’

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The Guardian, 11th June 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

New protections for rape victims available at more Crown Courts – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 13th, 2022 in criminal justice, cross-examination, Crown Court, forced labour, news, rape, sexual offences, victims, witnesses, women by sally

‘More victims of rape and sexual offences will be spared the stress of being cross-examined in court under a measure rolled out to a further 14 locations today (12 May 2022).’

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Ministry of Justice, 12th May 2022

Source: www.gov.uk

Sexual offence victims face longest-ever court waits – BBC News

Posted April 25th, 2022 in budgets, coronavirus, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, news, rape, sexual offences, statistics, victims by sally

‘Recent cases involving serious sexual offences have taken the longest time on record to go through Crown Courts in England and Wales, the BBC has found.’

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BBC News, 25th April 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MPs slate Ministry of Justice over Crown Court backlog and judges – Legal Futures

Posted March 9th, 2022 in budgets, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, diversity, equality, judges, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics by sally

‘MPs today slated the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) “meagre ambition” to reduce the Crown Court case backlog and warned that efforts to recruit judges will ignore the need to improve diversity.’

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Legal Futures, 9th March 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Greater Sentencing Power for Magistrates – A Solution to the Backlog? – Pump Court Chambers

Posted February 14th, 2022 in budgets, chambers articles, coronavirus, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, jurisdiction, magistrates, news, sentencing by sally

‘It was confirmed on 18 January 2020 that Magistrates are to have their sentencing powers increased in the coming months, granting them broader power than ever before. The most significant change is that Magistrates’ will be able to impose a sentence of up to 12 months in custody which is double the previous maximum sentence. Effectively, this means that Magistrates will be able to accept jurisdiction for more serious either way offences, such as for Fraud, Theft or Assault, which would have originally been sent to the Crown Court without giving the Defendant the option to elect to remain in the Magistrates’.’

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Pump Court Chambers, 7th February 2022

Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com

Criminal prosecution delays hit record 708 days – BBC News

Posted January 21st, 2022 in barristers, coronavirus, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, Ministry of Justice, news, prosecutions, statistics by sally

‘Delays in prosecuting suspected criminals have hit a record 708 days for the average time it takes to go from offence to completion of a case.’

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BBC News, 20th January 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk