Jess Phillips backs jury bill as she reveals she is victim of courts backlog'

"I see the court system used to control victims all the time; it is a tactic that is well known among those who study stalking, and it has to change. Phillips said she believed the alleged breach of the order should have been dealt with at the magistrates court, and did not know why it had been sent to the crown court."

"But imagine that was a breach of an order against a violent ex-husband, and it's going to be heard in more than two years' time. Are you joking? That's absolutely mental. Phillips said that without the measures limiting jury trials the bill stood little chance of reducing the growing crown court backlog."

"It leaves rapists on the street, she said. It's awful for a victim of rape who has had the bravery to come forward to be left waiting for years, but if they drop out of the system it also means that person might go on to rape somebody else."

Jess Phillips, a Labour minister, revealed that a man accused of breaching her restraining order will not face trial until 2028, highlighting severe delays in the crown court system. She strongly supports the courts and tribunals bill, arguing the current system is weaponized by violent offenders to control victims through prolonged delays. Phillips contends that breaches of restraining orders should be handled in magistrates courts rather than crown courts. She emphasizes that without measures limiting jury trials, the bill cannot effectively reduce the crown court backlog, which has reached 80,000 cases with some defendants potentially waiting until 2030 for trial. Phillips warns that these delays allow dangerous offenders to remain free and cause immense suffering for crime victims, particularly rape survivors.

Read at www.theguardian.com