I. Stephanie Boyce FKC, FRSA: “The justice system is complex and difficult to navigate.”

The justice system is complex and difficult to navigate.

“It is a principle of our law that every citizen has a right of unimpeded access to a court…

[It] is a‘basic right’. Even in our unwritten constitution it must rank as a constitutional right.”

Steyn LJ, R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Leech [1994]

But yet the backlog of cases in the criminal courts continues to grow.

The latest data shows that by the end of December 2024 there were 309, 838 outstanding cases

at the Magistrates’ courts and another 74, 651 cases in the Crown Court waiting to be heard.

Waiting times for almost all types of civil and family cases are longer now than before.

More than a decade since the passage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders

Act 2012 (LASPO) which effectively restricted access to justice for the most vulnerable in society,

giving way to delayed and denied access to justice. Too many struggle to afford early legal advice

which might resolve disputes earlier and avoid reaching court and more individuals face court alone

without being legally represented.

“successive governments have eroded various aspects of access to justice and erected numerous barriers for

individuals seeking to access the courts.

From a lack of proper resourcing of the justice system to attempts to shield the actions of public authorities from

legal accountability, it is clear that this constitutional principle is increasingly strained. ….the ability of individuals

to effectively access justice has been noticeably and dangerously curtailed,….

” (A JUSTICE Report The State We’re In: Addressing Threats & Challenges to the Rule of Law).JUSTICE