Britain's Courts: A Four-Year Wait for Justice

0:00On March 22nd, a four-year wait from a rape allegation to try out at the University of Manchester shows how backed up Britain's courts are. The accused student was found not guilty just recently. This kind of delay has everyone calling for change in the criminal justice system. The government wants to speed things up by limiting jury trials. For less serious crimes, like some assault or drug offenses where sentences would be under three years, defendants could no longer choose a jury. Instead, a single judge would decide the case. Critics argue there's no proof this will cut delays, and it chips away at the ancient right to a jury of peers. Juries handle only a small share of cases anyway, mostly the serious ones like murder or rapes stay with them. Magistrates courts, which deal with most cases, face their own troubles. Their sentencing limit would rise from 12 months to 18 months in prison, but recruiting enough volunteer magistrates is tough, with many, retiring soon. Officers have struck over low pay before, adding to the strain.

1:02Lifting limits on judges' court days is a good start from Justice Secretary David Lamy, along with ideas like bigger plea discounts to clear backlogs, faster. In the end, porn real funding into courts, prisons, and probation offers the best path to a fair, quicker system for victims and defendants. I like.