'Justice delayed can seem like justice denied': Police chief in warning over courts backlog
A police chief says he fears people will start to lose faith in the criminal justice system due to mounting court delays.
West Midlands Police Chief Constable Sir David Thompson said he was concerned that vulnerable victims were being let down due to cases being disrupted due to Covid.
Crown courts across the country are currently dealing with a backlog of more than 50,000 cases after the pandemic forced many hearings to be postponed.
Dozens of temporary 'Nightingale' courts have been set up to tackle the delays, which have led to some cases now being timetabled for 2023.
Sir David told the Express & Star that some victims and witnesses were waiting too long for cases to go to trial.
He said it was challenging to get people to attend court "when so much time has slipped by", and that delays were stretching police resources, with officers having to spend longer periods of time at court due to social distancing protocols.
Sir David said: "We all have to work together to speed it up to make sure these cases are not taking as long.
"Justice delayed can seem like justice denied, and there is a real danger if things become too protracted that people will lose some faith in the system.
Fair
"It needs to get back to normality quite soon."
Sir David said he was also concerned over the length of time people were being remanded in custody due to court delays.
"We have to manage the ongoing threat to the community, but courts also have to assess how long is fair to remand people when they haven't been convicted," he said.
The Government plans to have 60 Nightingale courts up and running by the end of this month, with sites including Park Hall Hotel & Spa in Wolverhampton and Stafford's Shire Hall.
Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden has welcomed the opening of a temporary court in the city.
"The pandemic has resulted in a long backlog of trials waiting to be heard so more court capacity is certainly needed," he said.
"The hotel cannot operate normally at the moment due to current restrictions and this will be an alternative use for a time.
"In the longer term though, I hope the hotel can get back into normal use and play the role it has in the life of the local area for many years."
