Court Capacity 2021-06-29
2021-06-29
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The pandemic has affected court capacity, leading to delays and backlogs.
What steps his Department is taking to increase court capacity. The Crown court backlog has reached a new record high of nearly 60,000 cases due to decade-long Conservative cuts and closures. Will the Government commit to continuing Nightingale courts until the backlog is cleared?
We are continuing Nightingale courtrooms. We have said to the judiciary that there will be no constraint on Crown court sitting days this current financial year; the judiciary can list as many cases as they are physically able to. Thanks to steps taken, Crown court case numbers are beginning to edge down for the first time.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
A constituent's fraud case against a former carer, initiated more than four years ago, has not seen justice served due to persistent court delays.
The Minister's total failure to improve court waiting times is having a very real-world cost. My 100-year-old constituent whose fraud case amounts to over £250,000 is still waiting for justice after more than four years. Despite multiple communications with the Department, delays persist. What exactly does he have to say to my constituent?
Listing of individual cases is a judicial function. During the pandemic, delays built up but half of the backlog has been removed since August last year. The outstanding case load in magistrates court is dropping at around 2,000 a week.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not address the constituent's specific case or provide any concrete response to it.
Listing Of Individual Cases Is Judicial Function
Response accuracy
Q3
Direct Answer
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Context
The Crown court backlog has reached a new record high due to the pandemic, affecting judicial efficiency.
Will the Government continue Nightingale courts until the backlog is cleared?
We are continuing Nightingale courtrooms. We have said to the judiciary that there will be no constraint on Crown court sitting days this current financial year; the judiciary can list as many cases as they are physically able to.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q4
Direct Answer
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Context
The Crown Prosecution Service's total case load has increased by 53% since February 2020, leading to court backlog issues.
Does the Minister agree that long-term continued investment in increased court capacity is needed for sustainable reduction of backlogs?
The capacity exists with 1,600 extra staff hired for Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service. The budget recently went up by £80 million to enable 400 additional prosecutors to be hired.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
There is controversy surrounding the use of the single justice procedure in relation to coronavirus-related offences, with hundreds potentially wrongly charged and convicted.
The Minister agrees that incompetence around prosecution decisions adds to court burdens and weakens justice. What will he do about it?
Prosecution decisions are taken by the independent Crown Prosecution Service, not the courts system. Justice standards have been maintained during remote hearings.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not address the issue of wrongful prosecutions or provide specific measures to rectify it.
Independent Prosecution Decisions
Response accuracy