Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 9
9
The pandemic has had a significant impact on the court system, exacerbating an already growing...
Conclusion
The pandemic has had a significant impact on the court system, exacerbating an already growing backlog in cases, particularly in the criminal courts. Stakeholders are concerned that it could take years to clear the backlog that has now accumulated. The effects on the lives of defendants, witnesses and victims are acute; we heard from a vulnerable constituent how waiting four years to access justice had severely impacted their wellbeing and recovery. The Ministry committed to shorten these waiting times and told us that it was putting £40 million in funding towards supporting victims, including providing independent advisers in the cases of sexual abuse and domestic violence. It recognised that more needs to be done to ensure the existence of these services is clearly communicated to victims.11 5 Qq 68, 69 6 Committee of Public Accounts, Mental health in prisons, Eighth Report of Session 2017–19, HC 400, 13 December 2017 7 HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Aggregate report on Short scrutiny visits 21 April – & July 2020, July 2020 8 Letter from HM Prison and Probation Service, 9 February 2021 9 Qq 41–45 10 Letter from HM Prison and Probation Service, 9 February 2021, page 6 11 Qq 6, 31, 32 10 Key challenges facing the Ministry of Justice
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
3: PAC conclusion: We have limited confidence in the Ministry’s plans for reducing the backlog in the court system, particularly in criminal courts. 3: PAC recommendation: The Ministry should write to the Committee within one month to set out its plan, including clear projections and timeframes, to reduce the backlog in the court system, particularly in criminal courts where the backlog is most acute. 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2021 3.2 The department is working at pace to reduce outstanding caseloads and improve delivery of timely justice for those using the courts and tribunals, including with counterparts across the criminal justice system in the Home Office, Attorney General’s Office and the Crown Prosecution Service to drive forward and oversee cross-system recovery work. 3.3 The Permanent Secretary wrote to the Committee on 18 May 2021 providing an update on recent progress and current plans, and the Lord Chancellor has been clear that he wants the Crown Courts to run to the fullest extent possible this year, with no limit on sitting days. 3.4 Progress in reducing outstanding cases is sensitive to a range of factors, including the future path of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions needed to manage it, most notably social distancing. However, the department is ramping up work to enable judges to safely hold as many hearings as possible, using existing capacity to the maximum extent possible and adding capacity through the Nightingale courts programme. In the Magistrates’ Courts, HMCTS and the senior judiciary have recently published a plan setting out their ambition to restore court listing and timings to pre-pandemic levels before the end of 2021. 3.5 The department will be able to provide a further update in summer 2021, taking account of the outcome of the social distancing review and its impact on the department’s plans.