20 Jun 2011

Thousands will be ‘denied justice’ by legal aid cuts

Exclusive: As multi-million pound cuts to the legal aid bill are set out, Channel 4 News Home Affairs Correspondent Simon Israel learns attempts to make savings are creating huge backlogs.

A backlog of more than 4,000 criminal cases has arisen in one region because of IT problems in handling legal aid applications from lawyers.

It is the first attempt to begin centralising the process, but extra staff have had to be drafted in to a unit at Havering Magistrates Court in Essex.

A spokesman for Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service told Channel 4 News: “The unit at Havering is the only centralised unit of this size in England and Wales.

“There are no plans to implement centralisation in any other areas until we have reviewed and learned lessons from the establishment of this unit. Our priority is to get Havering back up to date with processing applications.”

The scales of justice above the Old Bailey in London (Getty)

Lawyers have told Channel 4 News that trials have had to be postponed and bail applications put on hold.

The backlog amounts to 4,200 cases – with more than a month’s delay in processing applications.

The London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association has written to the Justice Minister Johnathon Djanogly warning of a crisis.

“This appalling delay has enormous consequences,” they write. “Defendants are either unrepresented or solicitors are forced to ask for adjournments because a fundamental part of the process is not working.

Frequently cases are being listed two or three times without the legal aid applications being determined.

“Cases are sent to the Crown Court with defendants in custody facing serious charges without legal aid. Often cases are being unnecessarily prolonged which is unfair on victims.”