Justice Denied
Barristers in criminal cases have gone on strike across England and Wales in a long-running dispute over pay. Eight out of 10 cases at London's Old Bailey were disrupted by the walkout, barristers outside the court said. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the strikes will "delay justice", as courts already face a backlog of 58,000 cases.’
First the train drivers, then these little darlings going on strike.
The administration of Justice has descended into farce. Barristers are regulated as far as what they can charge in costs, they are all not Rumpole winning stunning victories on a slight twist of evidence. Court Rules (CPR) set down the rules that mere mortals are not allowed to partake in, and largely dictate the outcome of any case on who can twist the rule book the furthest.
The Courts are increasingly being used as hammers to batter the public, the case of Julian Assange being a case in point. The man is being held in a maximum-security cell at U.K. taxpayers cost (The Americans are not paying for his incarceration YOU are).
Justice delayed is Justice denied, had we a written Constitution that guaranteed Free Speech, Assange would have walked free years ago. The Family Courts are a secretive affair where injustice and misery are dispensed on a daily basis in ‘camera’. The English tradition was always of in ‘open Court’ not the family Courts.
This has to end as the Courts should be for serious cases, not clogged with cases brought about by petty fogging bureaucrats fining people at the drop of a hat.
The restoration of elected county sheriffs and elected Magistrates to deal with the Saturday night violent drunks at a Sunday morning sitting. Magistrates should hear minor cases represented in person, not having to employ solicitors. The greater use of arbitration as the first level of remedy should be in all contracts including Marriage contracts.
The Woolf report into commercial litigation that clogged the Courts for decades brought much needed reform. The aim of the Woolf report was to bring about quicker, simpler and less adversarial litigation.
“Long awaited changes to the civil justice system in England and Wales will come into effect from 26th April 1999. Much greater use was made of arbitration rather than going to the Courts.”
This Party has as policy the reintroduction of elected magistrates and sheriffs at a county level
This Party demands all Family Courts should return to the fold of the open Court
This party demands that nobody of meagre means should ever be brought before a Court without representation from a County Public Defender’s Office. It is an anathema that there is a Crown Prosecution Service, and not one for Defenders.
Lastly the Royal Coat of Arms be removed from every Court and replaced with the scales of Justice.
We do not live in medieval times.
Andrew Withers FRSA
