CBA Chair Mary Prior KC and Vice Chair Riel Karmy-Jones provided insight into @theipaper’s front page news and in depth analysis of case backlogs and delays in the Crown Court, amid ongoing use of Nightingale Courts. Here is some of the comment and analysis of the justice system: “The leading barrister Mary Prior KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), is sceptical that the temporary venues are worth the money. “Nightingale courts could have an important role to play in dealing with trials if it means that they are listed earlier than 2027 onwards,” said Prior. “They are much more expensive to run than our crown court buildings and there are at least 20 per cent of crown courtrooms sitting empty most days. “Some of the investment earmarked for Nightingale courts should be spent on using every crown court room every single day of the week and ensuring that the criminal barristers who prosecute and defend the cases there are paid enough to make them stay in criminal law.” … The Government says that Nightingales are part of its commitment to “bearing down on the backlog”, which has almost doubled in five years. It now stands at more than 73,000 cases. But some senior barristers are frustrated that another chunk of the limited justice budget will be spent on these temporary facilities, when many permanent courtrooms are being left unused because of other financial shortfalls. They believe that declining numbers of duty solicitors and of barristers specialising in low-paid criminal cases, plus insufficient funding to provide enough judges, are the bigger issues behind delayed hearings. Old buildings and overstretched staff are also said to slow things down. The impact is so bad that several trials have recently been scheduled to begin in 2028. ….. However, some experts worry that the Government is still shying away from providing the money the system needs. The CBA’s vice chair, Riel Karmy-Jones KC, said: “The criminal case backlog and the delays to criminal trials aren’t just numbers. They represent tens of thousands of people whose lives are on hold. That affects and punishes defendants, witnesses, and victims of crime equally.” She added: “If the public lose faith in the justice system, then law and order starts to unravel and there is a risk that some may abandon the process, or even take the law into their own hands.” … The crown court backlog has become so dire that even some alleged rape victims are having to wait longer than two years before they can give evidence in a trial. This is resulting in more cases collapsing. The number of rape cases waiting to be heard is now at 3,291 – an increase of 476 per cent from the record low of 2019 – and is still rising, according to analysis of official data by the CBA, which represents specialist criminal barristers. The time it takes for cases to conclude from the day a crime allegedly takes place has also risen by more than 50 per cent to an average of 735 days for all types of offences. The Government recently announced that courts in England and Wales will be able to sit for an extra 2,000 days this financial year, taking the total to 108,500 days. That would be the highest figure in almost a decade. But court officials have said the system could cater for 113,000 sitting days if the Government were prepared to pay.” inews.co.uk/news/crime/covid…