Thread by @HudsonKerry

1/ So what we predicted is finally happening. One east London Crown Court appears to have lost all control of timely listing of cases. Just received the final listing for drugs matters. This is the 5th time it has been listed since early March for PTPH with defendants excused

2/ we have called & written to the court dozens of times asking for defendants to be produced or appear via video for guilty plea arraignment, & to fix the mistakes in the way the cases have been uploaded to the DCS which is making a complex case even more unnecessarily complex

3/ I have 3 out of 4 in custody calling me constantly asking what is happening, why they are not being taken to court and why they are not being sentenced. I'm running out of things to tell them. My firm is busting a gut using precious resources to try and sort this out. Yet I'm

4/ the one getting the complaints and abuse from the defendants. I will be inviting them to write to the Resident and their MPs as I'm tired of trying to fix a broken system. The extra kick in the teeth will be the shocking Guilty plea fixed fee we will get as the assumption

5/ is that we would have had one PTPH where defendant pleaded guilty and either was sentenced straight away or 3 weeks thereafter if reports needed. The fixed fee scheme did not anticipate a G plea case lasting weeks on end with multiple calls, emails and letters needed. This is

6/ taking up the limited resources we still have and burning out solicitors running dozens of cases which just will not finish; even those just needing guilty pleas and sentence. How much further does it have to break before someone starts listening?

7/ It's been 9 weeks since sending already and now no progress will be made again tomorrow. #thelawisbroken

8/ Another 20 mins call explaining to the client and his wife why the case will not progress again tomorrow and why this is not our fault. These conversations are a daily occurrence now. Spending more time apologising on behalf of a collapsing system than giving legal advice.

9/ Meanwhile I'm getting chased on a late stage 2 for a bail case which doesn't even have a trial date listed. It must be wine o'clock.