Don’t skew justice

IT should go without saying that victims of the heinous crime of rape deserve our every sympathy, and their cases merit the most determined effort by police and prosecutors.

But it is equally true that the justice system must never be skewed one way or the other. That, the Mail fears, will be the consequence of the decision by Liz Truss, the Lord Chancellor, to allow accusers to pre-record their evidence on video.

Now senior lawyers are queuing up to warn that the move would be unfair to defendants. By preventing live cross- examination in court, Miss Truss limits the jury’s ability to judge – from body language and tone of voice – whether they believe the alleged victim.

Yes, giving evidence in advance may make the experience of court less harrowing for victims. But that is no justification for tilting the scales of justice unfairly in one direction.