January 26, 2021
Ed Vickers QC of Red Lion Chambers has been asked by the Chair of the Criminal Bar Association, James Mulholland QC, to set up a working group to examine the main problems faced by practitioners in the Criminal Justice System.
The working group aims to consult members of the Bar, solicitors, court users and ‘stakeholders’. It will concentrate on the major issues, problems and obstacles already faced daily by all who work in the CJS, even before the impact of Covid. Input will also be sought from the CPS, police, probation, witness support and academics; and it is hoped that Resident Judges and Court staff will assist in identifying the issues to be resolved at Court Centres across the country, to make the CJS fit for purpose for the 21st Century.
Due to Covid restrictions, instead of public meetings, a survey/questionnaire will be sent to all members of the CBA in the Spring, to elicit the views of all practitioners. In addition, members of the working group will be involved in evidence gathering at Court centres. The working group is made up of practitioners from across the country and wants to encourage as wide a range of voices as possible to be heard. The aim of the working group is to publish the report in the Summer of 2021.
For more information, please see the CBA’S Monday message on the 25th Jan: [CBA]