The Bar Council has issued a response to the latest Criminal Court Statistics published
Richard Atkins QC, Chair of the Bar Council, responds to the latest Criminal Court Statistics (quarterly) published.
Richard Atkins QC, Chair of the Bar Council, said: "On the face of it prosecutions are down, many courts are sitting empty and now these latest figures suggest that trials coming to Magistrates’ Courts and Crown Courts are at their lowest levels since records began. This would be good news if not for the fact, as the police have recently admitted, crime detection rates are appalling. Statistics show that crime is actually rising and there is a backlog of court cases piling up. While Parliament is squabbling over Brexit, criminals are free to walk the streets as the justice system begins to grind to a halt leaving the British public at risk. These latest Ministry of Justice statistics must be ringing alarm bells at the Treasury and No 10. Criminal justice needs more than simply boosting police ranks. It needs investment in the entire system.”
