*/
The Chancellor of the Exchequer promised a radical shake-up of the criminal courts to make them ‘fit for the modern age’.
In his Spending Review, George Osborne pledged £700m for a long-awaited IT upgrade for the criminal courts.
The cash will be made available through a programme of court closures, increasing the number of hearings dealt with through video links and scrapping the need for many pre-trial hearings, which will be dealt with electronically.
Osborne told the House of Commons: ‘The Lord Chancellor has worked with the Lord Chief Justice and others to put forward a typically bold and radical plan to transform our courts so they are fit for the modern age.’
The reforms will be welcomed by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, who warned earlier this year that reform was ‘essential’, stating: ‘There is no way in which the present system can continue.’
Osborne also announced that the Ministry of Justice’s budget will fall over the next five years from £6.2bn to £5.6bn, a drop of 15% in real terms.
The law officers’ department, which includes the Crown Prosecution Service, will suffer a budget cut of 2.1%, far less than the 25% expected.
Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, said that £4.4 million had been ring-fenced for the CPS counter-terrorism unit, recognising ‘the essential role played by prosecutors in keeping the country safe’.
He added: ‘Our settlement protects core services while still making savings for the taxpayer. The CPS and SFO have made significant savings while both protecting frontline teams and improving performance and I’m confident our prosecutors are properly resourced to bring offenders to account.’
Justice Secretary Michael Gove said: ‘This spending review allows us to create a one-nation justice system which better serves the public. It provides the funding we need to reform the courts, so they provide swift and certain justice’.
Former Bar Council Chairman Alistair MacDonald QC said: ‘Investment to modernise courts and tribunals is vital to the successful reform of our criminal justice system and today’s Ministry of Justice settlement safeguards the £700 million announced earlier this year.
‘Proposed overall resource savings of 15% and a 50% cut in the department’s administrative budget are obviously a big concern. Whatever plans have been made to implement these cuts, we urge the Government to ensure that access to justice, particularly for the most vulnerable, is not further restricted.’
The Chancellor of the Exchequer promised a radical shake-up of the criminal courts to make them ‘fit for the modern age’.
In his Spending Review, George Osborne pledged £700m for a long-awaited IT upgrade for the criminal courts.
The cash will be made available through a programme of court closures, increasing the number of hearings dealt with through video links and scrapping the need for many pre-trial hearings, which will be dealt with electronically.
Osborne told the House of Commons: ‘The Lord Chancellor has worked with the Lord Chief Justice and others to put forward a typically bold and radical plan to transform our courts so they are fit for the modern age.’
The reforms will be welcomed by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, who warned earlier this year that reform was ‘essential’, stating: ‘There is no way in which the present system can continue.’
Osborne also announced that the Ministry of Justice’s budget will fall over the next five years from £6.2bn to £5.6bn, a drop of 15% in real terms.
The law officers’ department, which includes the Crown Prosecution Service, will suffer a budget cut of 2.1%, far less than the 25% expected.
Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, said that £4.4 million had been ring-fenced for the CPS counter-terrorism unit, recognising ‘the essential role played by prosecutors in keeping the country safe’.
He added: ‘Our settlement protects core services while still making savings for the taxpayer. The CPS and SFO have made significant savings while both protecting frontline teams and improving performance and I’m confident our prosecutors are properly resourced to bring offenders to account.’
Justice Secretary Michael Gove said: ‘This spending review allows us to create a one-nation justice system which better serves the public. It provides the funding we need to reform the courts, so they provide swift and certain justice’.
Former Bar Council Chairman Alistair MacDonald QC said: ‘Investment to modernise courts and tribunals is vital to the successful reform of our criminal justice system and today’s Ministry of Justice settlement safeguards the £700 million announced earlier this year.
‘Proposed overall resource savings of 15% and a 50% cut in the department’s administrative budget are obviously a big concern. Whatever plans have been made to implement these cuts, we urge the Government to ensure that access to justice, particularly for the most vulnerable, is not further restricted.’
Chair of the Bar finds common ground on legal services between our two jurisdictions, plus an update on jury trials
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
An interview with Rob Wagg, CEO of New Park Court Chambers
With at least 31 reports of AI hallucinations in UK legal cases – over 800 worldwide – and judges using AI to assist in judicial decision-making, the risks and benefits are impossible to ignore. Matthew Lee examines how different jurisdictions are responding
What has changed, and why? Paul Secher unpacks the new standards aligning the recruiting, training and appraising of judges – the first major change to the system for ten years
The deprivation of liberty is the most significant power the state can exercise. Drawing on frontline experience, Chris Henley KC explains why replacing trial by jury with judge-only trials risks undermining justice
Ever wondered what a pupillage is like at the CPS? This Q and A provides an insight into the training, experience and next steps
The appointments of 96 new King’s Counsel (also known as silk) are announced today
