Upsetting tales of most cancers sufferers and care dwelling residents being convicted in a closed-door justice system ought to set alarms bells ringing for these in energy.
Not remoted incidents, however indicators that the one justice process is routinely delivering injustice. Most of the prosecutions ought to have been dropped as quickly because it was clear that they weren’t within the public curiosity. However in a court docket system designed primarily for velocity, prosecutors don’t even see the letters revealing the reality. The offences concerned are minor however the impression will be huge, particularly for these too previous to manage alone. MPs created the system eight years in the past, then failed to watch whether or not it labored. Prosecuting our bodies — police forces, Transport for London, councils, the DVLA and TV Licensing — know it’s delivering injustices. And the Ministry of Justice seems to have little urge for food for fixing the issues.
The newest concept is for 3 magistrates to every cope with their very own stack of prosecutions whereas sharing a single, legally-qualified adviser. The adviser will probably be in one other room, busy with different work, to be referred to as upon if the Justice of the Peace thinks they need assistance.
In a court docket system already working behind closed doorways, the place most defendants play no lively half, it feels like a recipe for catastrophe.
The MoJ’s personal pilot of the brand new system revealed magistrates have been aiming to convict and sentence defendants in simply 90 seconds, whereas authorized checks have been carried out on simply 28 per cent of instances.
The only justice process should now be totally investigated to find out if it too has gone badly unsuitable.