Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Deferred
Paragraph: 32
Existing criminal justice inspection regime deemed insufficient and inadequate over time.
Conclusion
The Government also argued that the inspection provided by the existing criminal justice inspectorates and the National Audit Office was sufficient. We do not believe that this argument has stood the test of time.
Government Response Summary
The government did not address the committee's conclusion about the insufficiency of existing inspections. Instead, it detailed ongoing efforts to improve judicial recruitment, court capacity, and legal aid provision through various investments and programmes.
Paragraph Reference:
32
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
MoJ has a shared objective with the judiciary and the Judicial Appointments Commission to ensure that judicial recruitment is planned in a way that meets both long-term and more immediate needs. This is why a 5-year rolling recruitment programme has been agreed to recruit to those judicial offices where there is the greatest need for regular (annual to biennial) recruitment. As explained in the response to Recommendation (9), every effort is being made to maximise Circuit Judge and Recorder capacity. Long-term resourcing plans will benefit from action to make judicial office attractive through providing efficient administrative support and a well-maintained court and tribunal estate. That is why £1.3bn has been invested in HMCTS reform on the large-scale modernisation of our processes, digital systems and our buildings, which includes greater use of case officers ensuring that judges can spend their time on judge level activity; and over £280m over the last two years has been invested in maintenance of our estate. A thriving legal sector is also key to ensuring future judicial resourcing needs can be met. The Government’s proposals, currently under consultation, to reform the criminal legal aid system, by providing a 15% uplift for most schemes and longer term investment, including reform of the Litigators’ Graduated Fee Scheme (LGFS), will ensure continued high standards of representation before our courts, and sustainable cWe will also support the next generation of criminal lawyers by making up to £2.5 million available for training grants for solicitors. The Government is also looking at increasing the opportunities for CILEX professionals across the justice system – including making it easier for them to become duty solicitors to increase the sustainability and stability of the provider base. This could provide a further pipeline into the judiciary. The Criminal Courts—Physical Capacity in the Crown Court