by Niall Christie

Scotland Editor

BRITAIN’S justice system is “besieged on all sides” and “huge” backlogs are causing “unacceptably long” delays for victims and the public, MPs have warned.

A report by Westminster’s public accounts committee (PAC) raises concerns that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) faces “significant risks” in the court, prison and probation systems, and does not have a clear sense of priorities. 

The study said that the pandemic had exacerbated existing problems in the justice system which was now under “unprecedented pressure” and highlighted “clear signs of strain” on courts, prison and probation staff.

Labour’s shadow justice secretary David Lammy said: “A decade of Conservative cuts to our justice system has left victims waiting years to get justice, if they get it at all, while serious criminals are being let off the hook.

“Delays have reached an all-time high as prosecutions for serious crimes like rape have hit an all-time low.

“As this report highlights, ministers need to take urgent action to restore victims’ faith in the justice system which has been left teetering on the brink of collapse.”

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) faces “significant risks across the full range of its services, without a clear sense of prioritisation,” the report found.

The committee also had “limited confidence in the ministry’s plans for reducing the backlog in the court system,” warning that there was a risk the department was “overly relying on the potential of technology” to tackle the increase in demand.

PAC chairwoman and Labour MP Meg Hillier said that victims and witnesses “waiting in limbo because of the long waits for a day in court mean justice is too often being delayed to the point of being denied.”

She said: “Our justice system is besieged on all sides and it is not clear the MoJ has a firm grip on this challenge even with a desperately needed funding boost. This isn’t justice for victims, offenders, taxpayers or society.”

Among a series of recommendations, the MPs called for a plan to be set out within a month with “clear projections and time frames” on how to reduce the backlog, “particularly in the criminal courts where the backlog is most acute.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Our response to coronavirus has saved lives, kept the courts system running, and ultimately protected the public.”

He added that more cases are heard weekly, pointing to a £450 million investment in quicker trials.