Justice in Numbers In 2024 the Criminal Bar, working with the Judiciary, Court Staff, Solicitors, the CPS and all agencies disposed of 113,885 cases in the Crown Court. A high level of cases (18,790) were committed for sentence to the Crown Court. Chair Mary Prior KC, Message

The Criminal Bar Association’s survey of Criminal Barristers’ views of the Leveson Review of the Criminal Courts, a Government commissioned review. 2029 criminal barristers responded in 7 days The survey was open from 16 to 23 July 2025 The Leveson Review published 9 July 2025

More than 90 per cent of barristers oppose controversial plan to axe jury trials Barristers were polled on Sir Brian Leveson’s proposals to scrap jury trials www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/b...

We cannot applaud the removal of what the public sees as a basic human right. The public takes part in the criminal justice system, deciding the guilt or otherwise of its fellow citizens. This is a significant protection, ensuring that laws remain fair and justice remains open to all. Mary Prior KC

The Leveson Review Have you completed the survey? Calling all Criminal Barristers. We need your say so we can have a greater collective voice. The deadline for responses is 10am Wednesday 23 July. We are grateful for your time.

Looks like an even bigger shovel is to hand to get back into a gaping hole already dug.

Legal aid gong for Kneecap’s firm @wearelapg.bsky.social awards; Ex Stobart Barristers legal chief barred from running practices; 1st woman solicitor deserves @englishheritage.bsky.social blue plaque, says @melindagileslaw.bsky.social - in @TimesLaw today. www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Independent Sentencing Review. “Plainly, significant investment will be necessary to implement change and that investment must include ensuring that the criminal barristers who prosecute and defend the trials and sentence hearings remain.” Mary Prior KC, Chair of the Criminal Bar Association.

“There is no alternative but to make change” Mary Prior KC, CBA Chair, reviews the Independent Sentencing Review, as reported in today’s @Independent. “Ending short sentences was welcomed by the Criminal Bar Association “because they don’t work”. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Court system in crisis as ‘jaw-dropping’ delays see first trials listed for 2029 “It cannot be right for victims of crime, eyewitnesses and those accused of crimes to have to wait until 2029 for their trial to take place” Mary Prior KC, Chair of the CBA. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

In 2022c Cookie Monster won April Fools day.

Earlier this week I joined @simonkc.bsky.social and @k80bex.bsky.social for the @thecriminalbar.bsky.social Criminal Justice Matters podcast. We discuss if offenders should be compelled to attend sentencing hearings and face the families, or face consequences open.spotify.com/episode/10Ey...

It was a real privilege to record this podcast with Claire! Do listen and share!

Our chair Mary Prior KC writes that @CommonsPAC “holds government officials to account for the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of public spending. On the 13th February 2025 the PAC was Ordered by the House of Commons to print their report entitled “Crown Court backlogs.”

Letter from the DPP, Stephen Parkinson, to the Criminal Bar “We rely heavily on you, and we always will” Message of Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions at the @CPSUK to criminal barristers in today’s Monday Message. DPP's full letter is here www.criminalbar.com/resources/ne...

Rape trial delays worsen as barristers’ pay gap widens As more sexual offence trials are postponed because no prosecution barrister is available, experts blame a pay disparity between prosecution and defence lawyers @thetimes.com Times Law www.thetimes.com/article/aa05...

Decision Time Many of those who remain at the Criminal Bar are waiting until April to see what the joined-up consequences of the Leveson and Gauke Reviews cause the Treasury to provide to keep the Criminal Justice System alive and functioning. We are a cost-effective and vital part of that. Chair MM

We make it plain that further delay and prevarication will lead to a mass exodus of Counsel who will simply turn to more lucrative work. Our patience should not be viewed as anything other than short-term and it masks frustration and anger and successive Governmental failures to listen and to act MM

Defence and CPS Fees Chair’s message That work is ongoing but work that remains and continues to be a constant plea from the CBA to the CPS is that of parity of fees. Prosecutors must be paid the same for conducting a criminal trial as the defence.

The long hand of the law Or With an outstretched hand

The recommendation was not implemented. The backlog is now at over 74,000 cases. The remand population now consists of one in five prisoners. …. Let’s start by using the resources we have.

Listening
 
In April 2022 the Justice Select Committee recommended that the Crown Court should sit a minimum of 110,000 sitting days for a minimum of five years to reduce the backlog which had built up of 60,000 cases.
 Chair’s message Mary Prior KC

Brexit Britain - a regional city near you

Well that was a cold start today - more of an economic and social indicator? Forever in hope …

🚨 My exclusive splash for @inews.co.uk: ⚖️ The temporary Nightingale courts that were opened in hotels and conference centres to hear delayed trials during the pandemic are set to be kept open for a sixth year, as the criminal justice backlog crisis continues to worsen inews.co.uk/news/crime/c...

We will do all that we can to work with them to achieve a “financially realistic and merit based increase.”  If our efforts are met with prevarication and a lack of progress, we will ask you what our next steps should be.

We are now working with the Minister of State (Ministry of Justice) Sarah Sackman and the Ministry of Justice to resolve the necessary percentage increase to all defence fees, not limited to increases in RASSO cases Time is of the essence. Chair’s Message.

Christmas court quiz? How much does the Supreme Court café charge for a flat white coffee A £1.80 B £2.80 C £3.80 Can you claim said coffee as a legitimate disbursement under legal aid A yes B no C yes but no but yes If C do Crown Courts charge more? A yes B obviously yes C if A or B where?

Orange warm up for winter solstice

Chair MPKC We are committed to working with the Government to ensure that we play our part, together with the Bar Council, in making the best use of available resources and in ensuring that Criminal Barristers have the same percentage increase in our fees This must be a priority at the start of 2025

Chair Mary Prior KC We are relieved that the Government has found the budget for an extra 2000 Crown Court sitting days for the next few months. It will be a bitter pill for victims and those accused of crime who have already had their trials adjourned until 2026, 2027 or 2028 because of the cuts…

On Monday 35% of the largestCrown Court in England will be Empty 7 out of 20 court rooms at Snaresbrook no hearings at all

Sun day

And @bsky.app didn’t take long to be infected with the same Looney tune fanzine fantasists by proxy as X with the antihero status of Mr LM .

Man, 88, passes grade 8 piano with distinction, 67 years after taking grade 7

Goodbye Sir Humphrey

Four years ago, Cavan Medlock, a self-confessed Nazi sympathiser, chose his target, an immigration solicitor, after seeing his name in the Daily Mail & after weeks of ministers briefing against "activist lawyers". An important & under-reported terrorism case: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The haunt of Christmas fair past

Justice isn’t working. The Guardian view on the courts in crisis: long waits are a route to injustice @theguardian.com Editorial Delayed trials don’t get enough attention. But they are harmful both to individuals and society www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Hundreds of trials derailed by failure to get defendants to court on time | UK criminal justice | The Guardian @theguardian.com @michaelgoodier.bsky.social and Matthew Weaver www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...

London between two lamps

The crisis in the courts in England and Wales: how did we get here? | UK criminal justice | The Guardian @theguardian.com @michaelgoodier.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...

Our thanks to @theguardian.com Emily Dugan for taking the time and trouble to visit Crown Courts across the country, having face-to-face conversations with Criminal Barristers working on back-to-back trials to prop up a criminal justice system on its knees www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...

Rape trials collapse as victims abandon cases amid long court delays Courts logjam in England and Wales contributes to doubling in five years of victims pulling out of prosecutions ‘I’ve had four torturous years’: child abuse victims speak out @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...

The removal of the right to jury trial. Reducing the current backlog of cases in the Crown Court and ensuring that it does not continue to increase will take time and substantial financial investment. Statement attached contained in Chair’s Monday Message

Perspective