Inside London's crippling court delays as Labour moves to cut back jury trials

"The official statistics paint a positive picture of defendants in custody being brought to court punctually almost all the time. More than 99 per cent of the time, in fact. But those in court know that in reality there is a chronic problem, now brought into sharp relief when the government is contemplating scaling back jury trials in its search for ways to speed up the justice process."

"The idea of juryless trials in the Crown Court first floated in the summer following an independent review by retired judge Sir Brian Leveson has been embraced by Justice Secretary David Lammy. Writing for The Standard, Mr Lammy argued the change is needed to confront an emergency in the criminal courts, as victims are withdrawing from cases in droves due to the chronic delays."

"Juggling a gown, a half-drunk coffee, and a horsehair wig, he has just seven minutes before court is due to start. Don't worry, don't rush, says a fellow barrister, holding open the lift doors. Van's not here. Three words that are depressingly familiar to lawyers and court users across the country. The behind-schedule barrister knew in an instant that he need not worry about holding up court proceedings and risking the wrath of a judge. But he also knew it would be yet another day marred by delays."

Chronic failures to bring defendants from prisons to court are causing routine delays that prevent hearings from proceeding. Secure transport vans frequently fail to arrive, leaving judges and lawyers unable to progress cases. Official statistics report over 99% punctuality for defendants in custody, but court practitioners experience persistent disruptions. The government, citing a justice-system emergency and victim disengagement, has proposed juryless Crown Court trials after a review by Sir Brian Leveson and proposals supported by Justice Secretary David Lammy. Many lawyers oppose removing juries and call instead for fixing logistical problems, maximising court capacity, and improving case management.

Read at www.standard.co.uk