Fewer @CPSUK prosecutions ever make it to Crown Court - charge rate just 5.4% - yet delays to trials from CPS-cuts up delays multiply
473 trials were adjourned at the last moment, deemed ineffective as “prosecution not ready”for year to June 2022, the highest annual for 7 years
A further 537 trials were adjourned at the last minute in the Crown Court over the year to June 2022 as @MoJGovUK records that they were ineffective for the reason of “prosecution witness absent”

severe under resourcing of police and @CPSUK strains a depleted @TheCriminalBar
Further investment into criminal legal aid via CLAAB (criminal #legalaid advisory body) must go hand-in-and with sustained reinvestme into prosecution services for any hope of a first stabilised and then revitalised independent criminal bar able to both defend and prosecute.

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More from @JamesDRossiter

Oct 29
#Crime @ukhomeoffice
#Police+ @CPSUK charging rates
charging+prosecutions years to
March 2015+June 2022
year before @Conservatives took control v year 7 of power
#Rape 87% DROP in charging
Of police reported allegations charged
2014/15 85 in 1000 8.5%
2021/22 15 in 1000 1.5% ImageImage
#Crime
@ukhomeoffice 7 year record
#Police + @CPSUK charging rates
charging+prosecutions years
All #sexual offences 73% DROP in charging
Of police reported allegations
Year to March 2015
113 in 1000 11.3%
Year to June 2021/22
31 in 1000 3.1% ImageImage
#Crime
@ukhomeoffice 7 year record
#Police and @CPSUK charging rates
Fell even lower for years to December 2021 and March 2022
#sexual offences
29 in 1000 2.9%
FALL of 74% in 7 years
Of which #rape
13 in 1000 1.3%
FALL of 88.5% in 7 years ImageImage
Read 5 tweets
Sep 25
Government record on criminal #justice on trial 26/9/22
Government data
“Expenditure on criminal legal aid has reduced by £ 1 billion pounds since 2005/2006 (from £1.68 billion in 2005/2006 to £ 617 million in 2021/2021). This significant decline is reflected in this chart”
👇🏼
HHJ Raynor asked
“What then is the evidence of systemic failure and of the chronic and predictable consequences of underfunding?

“35.Treasury Annual Resource figures show a decrease of over 20% in funding for courts between 2010/11 and 2014/15, continuing through to 2019.”
Impact on victims of crime from Govt justice underfunding
HHJ Raynor cited Govt appointed @VictimsComm “criminal justice system that is severely and recklessly underfunded. And it is victims who are ultimately paying the price and will continue to suffer the longer this goes on”
Read 11 tweets
Sep 23
In her words @VictimsComm
“little has been done to effectively tackle the enormous and catastrophic backlog of cases, particularly in the Crown Court where the most serious crimes are tried. This has exposed victims of these crimes to intolerable delay, anguish and uncertainty” ImageImage
“was notable that the former Lord Chancellor had not met with me once since February. The lack of engagement from the top at a time of great upheaval for victims reflected poorly on the Ministry of Justice’s priorities and the government’s approach” in her own words @VictimsComm ImageImage
“I am grateful to the former Secretary of State, David Gauke, and Prime Minister, Theresa May MP, for appointing me to this role. I pay tribute to the professionalism and dedication of officials and of the victims’ sector who work tirelessly to improve the position of victims” ImageImage
Read 4 tweets
Sep 23
“In her judgment, she set out very clearly that this was a funding issue and was not a just and sufficient cause in order to extend the custody time limits for the defendant.

It is certainly Government responsibility.”
@TheCriminalBar chair
Evidence to @CommonsJustice 6/9/22 ImageImage
HHJ Pringle KC 22/9/22

7. The concern of those who practise at the Criminal Bar at the levels of remuneration for defence work has been longstanding, whether that is justified or not. As a result the government set up a complete review of criminal legal aid” ImageImageImageImage
“chaired by Sir Christopher Bellamy. In his report, dated 29th November 2021, he stated at paragraph 7.11:
“In my view the best immediate option to de with the issue of sustainability of criminal legal aid is to properly fund the present system and reform the fees structure...” Image
Read 5 tweets
Nov 19, 2020
Just how discriminatory “Extended” Operating Hours comes from a request by a Crown Court in SW circuit to list a trial in a Hampshire Crown Court for 9am. Counsel for CPS and defence would have to take a 430am train from London to make it on time - a @TheCriminalBar thread
The only reason no date can yet be found - with judge still wanting a 9am court start no one can make (after starting work 4am and ending 11-12 the night before) is cuts to capacity in 2019/20 means no dates even for 2021 can yet be found given backlogs
The junior barrister, 3 years qualified, who tells me this, is battling and has battled against odds to come to the criminal bar - mum a single working parent, state school, hard south london estate, huge student debts - and wonders how long she can hang in just as we need her
Read 6 tweets
Nov 16, 2020
“There is only one solution. It is money. Provide proper levels of funding for all the institutions within the system, particularly, the bar after a generation of cuts and in order that the criminal courts open and remain so”
@TheCriminalBar chair @muljam23 JamesMulhollandQC MM ImageImage
“In April 2020, the Institute for Government published a report into the Criminal Justice System... “[w]ithout subsequent additional spending, there will be bigger case backlogs – and therefore delayed justice – indefinitely”.
@TheCriminalBar chair James Mulholland QC citing IfG Image
types of cases populating the system and subject to considerable delay are important Serious cases dominate These are real people, both complainants and defendants, trapped in limbo unable to move on with their lives All are victims of a government impervious to their suffering” Image
Read 4 tweets

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