Lockdown leads to court ‘crisis’

POLICE BOSSES have described Covid-19 lockdown’s impact on the court system as a crisis – with courts facing a huge backlog of cases.

Lockdown and the need for social distancing has lead to trials being postponed and a massive reduction in the number of cases being processed by courts.

At a meeting of West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel on Friday, top police officers raised concerns about the backlog of cases the lockdown has caused, with West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson saying it was “clearly a crisis.” He said: “We’re massively frustrated at the lack of progress from the National court service.

“We’re hearing about a huge disconnect between the rhetoric and what’s happening on the ground.

I’m doing everything I posWe’re sibly can to liaise with the local court staff and judiciary, there is a potential of looking at what’s called Nightingale courts.

“But while the two metre social distancing is in place, coupled with the cuts that have taken place to courts over the last 10 years it’s not a great recipe. frantically working to get a local plan in place.

“I don’t want to criticise the local personnel who are frustrated as well.

“I think this is a crisis yet to be reported on. We will do whatever we can locally to mitigate it, but there is no doubt this is a crisis.”

Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police John Robins said more should have been done to make courts safer places rather than shut them down completely.

“People getting dealt with by other key workers in the criminal justice system, mainly the police, are going through the process and coming to a clear blank when it comes to the rest of the criminal justice system.”

“We will do whatever we can locally to mitigate it, but there is no doubt this is a crisis.”

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