Simon Spence QC interviewed by i paper on Ryan Giggs re-trial and court backlogs

September 8, 2022

The former Manchester United football player Ryan Giggs is to face a retrial following a jury failing to reach verdicts last week after a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court.

A new trial date for 31 July, 2023 has been set.

Commenting on the 11-month wait for a retrial, Simon Spence QC talked to the i paper about the “new normal” and how court systems were being hampered by lengthy case backlogs as well as many courts sitting empty due to a national shortage of judges and court administrative staff. He said:

“There is nothing untypical about the time delay in the Ryan Giggs case, it is indicative of the current backlog hovering around 60,000. Pre-Covid it would have been a very unusual delay, the backlog of cases was about 30,000 and the waiting period about six months for a trial or re-trial. Cases are lined up in a queue and retrials don’t get priority over other cases, and in some instances they go to the back of the queue. Defendants who pay for legal fees privately don’t get priority over those funded by legal aid.”

Talking earlier in the week to Eastern Daily Press, Simon spoke about the all-out strike in which the CBA and criminal barristers are currently taking part in. He said:

“The dispute we have with the MoJ is not just about pay. The criminal justice system is unravelling at the seams. The backlog of cases currenty stands at 60,000. Court buildings are crumbling and often unsafe.”