Courts crisis 'compounding' lack of trust in policing, says commissioner
The UK's growing courts backlog risks compounding the public's "lack of trust" in policing, a commissioner has warned.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster said court delays were resulting in criminals walking free as cases collapsed.
He said that while forces were doing "all they can" to help bring criminals to book, public confidence in policing was being harmed by the lengthy delays in cases being heard.
More than 60,000 crown court trials – including hundreds in the West Midlands – are currently on a growing waiting list, with some now being listed for late 2023.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said he hoped to see the backlog fall over the next 12 months.
Labour PCC Mr Foster said the courts backlog, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, was a consequence of the Government "failing to adequately fund judicial sitting days".
He said: "The police are doing all they can to support the criminal justice system, but ultimately the Government needs to put a robust plan in place to clear the court backlog.
"This is a serious failure on the part of government to put victims at the forefront of our criminal justice system.
"Justice delayed is justice denied, whether that be in relation to victims, witnesses or alleged perpetrators.
"These wholly unacceptable delays place serious pressures on the viability of cases and can even cause cases to collapse with serious criminals going free.
"There is a clear issue with public confidence in policing at the moment. Court delays are compounding the lack of trust. The Government needs to grip this crisis."
Mr Raab said a plan was in operation with the judiciary to "drive down" the backlog. "We're going to reduce the backlog within six to 12 months," he said.
Lord Justice Fulford, one of Britain's top judges, said public confidence in policing had been "eroded" in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder by a serving police officer.
