“You said you were going to have to be running between two court rooms, how did that come about” asks @BBCr4today @jade_bogart of RASSO criminal barrister Stacey Lee Holland of @2drjb “unfortunately it’s due to a lack of [criminal] barristers and there aren’t enough of us to cover the amount of work that’s coming in” listen to @DonnaLongcroft of @2drjb and Gregory Wedge of @187FleetStreet
Maidstone Crown Court a day in the life from 6am to court opening at 8am for criminal barristers to prepare dozens of cases many that have just arrived that morning to be prosecuted and defended that morning from 10am when jurors arrive. One trial date being offered is for 2026 for a 2020 alleged assault of an emergency worker.
The impact on defendants and complainants and victims of crime, and to have trials snatched a wave on the day that they were supposed to start removes “the light at the end of the tunnel”.
A murder trial is concluding, jurors retire to consider a rape and serious sexual assault trial, and an array of other cases with trial and sentencing dates set ranging from this year to 2025 and 2026 for offences ranging from assault of emergency worker, to downloading indecent images, to alleged theft and deception involving a woman victim of 85 with dementia and a defendant with over 25 previous convictions. He is on bail. The criminal barrister tasked with advocating prosecution for
and somehow manage to keep justice on track. They are exhausted. But it doesn’t help when defendants are brought to court late – because prisons are overcrowded.
Discover more from Justice News247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.