Criminal court delays
The BBC reports that West Mercia’s police and crime commissioner has criticised delays in bringing cases to court in the region.
The article mentions that the Law Society doubts the government would meet “even its own unambitious target” of reducing the Crown Court backlog to 53,000 by March 2025.
There is further coverage of the criminal case delays in the Letchworth and Baldock Comet, Herts Advertiser and Welwyn and Hatfield Times.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “The criminal justice system is withering at the root due to decades of underinvestment and the government’s failure to tackle the crisis.
“Delays in the courts are being compounded by a chronic shortage of lawyers and judges, overrun prisons and courts in disrepair. The increase in the number of people on remand for long periods awaiting trial is extremely concerning.”
Hopes for 2024
The Times (£) speaks to leading lawyers about their hopes for the year ahead.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “As momentum towards a general election in 2024 builds, we are engaging with all parties to ensure that the next government understands the importance of investing properly in the justice system so that the fundamental right to access to justice is upheld.
“At end of last year, we took the government to court over levels of criminal legal aid funding and we expect a decision to be made early this year. We hope the High Court will recognise that the decision by the Ministry of Justice not to award the recommended 15% uplift to duty solicitor fees was irrational and the government reconsider it, so that criminal legal aid lawyers have a chance at continuing their vital work.”
Legal Ombudsman Service
The Times (£) looks at our concerns about the Legal Ombudsman Service (LeO) not meeting performance targets including the backlog of cases waiting for investigation, customer journey times and staff attrition rates.
“The Office of Legal Complaints has reported that in 2022-23 the average productivity of investigators was 4.3 cases per month, which seems inexplicably low and LeO continues to be vulnerable to high staff attrition rates,” said Law Society president Nick Emmerson.
Getting divorced
The Daily Mail looks at how to make a clean and fair financial break when getting divorced.
The piece mentions our Find a Solicitor search tool.
Also worth a read:
- Proposed court fee hikes – Solicitors Journal
- Law firm billing could be transformed by AI – Legal Futures
- What will 2024 bring for the housing market – Guardian
- Prince Andrew named in newly released court files – BBC
- UK statistics regulator probes PM’s claims on ‘legacy’ asylum cases – FT (£)