Exclusive: Austerity, mismanagement and ‘reckless neglect’ has left system at crisis point, says crime commissioner
Rape and domestic violence cases will be among the worst hit from the growing backlog in the judicial system, and trials could soon start collapsing because of severe delays, the new crime commissioner for England’s second biggest force has warned.
Simon Foster, the Labour commissioner for West Midlands police, said underfunding and “mismanagement and reckless neglect” of the justice system over the past 10 years has left it at crisis point, and he had heard of one crown court trial date being set for as far off as 2024 – though the Ministry of Justice denied this.
