Invest to beat court backlog, says police chief

The outgoing chief constable of Wales's biggest police force says investment and focus on the entire criminal justice system is needed because of the current backlog in the courts.

Matt Jukes says without a functioning system to accelerate through the backlog, the risk of people reoffending or trials not going ahead "is real".

His officers have had cases due this autumn delayed until next spring.

The Ministry of Justice said outstanding cases were falling.

Mr Jukes said the delay in cases coming to justice because of coronavirus meant officers were having to work hard to keep the confidence of victims and witnesses to give their evidence.

On his last day at the force before moving to the Metropolitan Police, Mr Jukes pointed to the backlog in the criminal courts.

"We absolutely need to see an investment and focus on the criminal justice system," he said.

"We need to accelerate the progress through that backlog, not just from some administrative perspective, but because we're asking really courageous victims of domestic abuse and other harms to come to court and give their evidence.

"We're asking people who are maybe involved in gangs and violence to give evidence against others that they know.

"And we're working really hard and we need support of other agencies to keep those victims and witnesses confident to give their evidence.

"But we also need a functioning criminal justice system that can accelerate through that backlog, because the risk of those trials falling away and the reoffending is real."

Scott Bowen, a criminal solicitor in Newport and Law Society council member, described the situation as chaos, with the delays affecting the sentences being imposed.

One of his clients, who was arrested in December 2018 for supplying Class A drugs, waited 22 months for a court hearing and sentencing after his case was adjourned four times.

"On four occasions he packed a bag and said goodbye to his family, knowing that he was facing going to prison," Mr Bowen said.

"On three occasions a letter dropped through the letterbox the day before, saying your case has been adjourned.

"On one occasion he actually turned up to court, only to be told his case wasn't on the list and he was sent on his way."

Mr Bowen said he was not excusing drug-dealing, but said the toll the delays had on people was evident, and his client was referred for mental health help in the end.

The man was eventually given a suspended sentence as the judge said the long delay had been a form of punishment.

"You could say that this individual has suffered enough for the last 22 months - the delays are inexcusable and therefore it's justice that he didn't get sent to prison," Mr Bowen said.

"You could also argue that this is an individual who is involved in the supply of Class A drugs and that it is not justice for him not to be sent to custody."

Mr Jukes said the force was now seeing signs of this starting to affect policing as trial dates got put back further.

"We're working hard to keep the confidence of victims and keep engaged," he said.

"Trials that should have taken place this autumn will (now) take place in perhaps the first quarter of next year, and some that might even go beyond that.

"We are working hard with the Crown Prosecution Service, with the court service to get the best provisions in place - a lot of that sits outside policing and we're managing some of the risks in the meantime, back in the community, so the signals are there of a risk."

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The number of outstanding cases in magistrates' courts is already falling thanks to our extensive efforts to limit the impact of the pandemic on the justice system.

"Crown courts are listing more jury trials every week, and we're spending £80m on a range of measures to further drive this recovery, including the recruitment of 1,600 additional staff."