Rise in postponed trials at Chester and Liverpool crown courts

More trials at Chester and Liverpool crown courts did not go ahead on their scheduled date last year, the latest figures show.

The Law Society said the record high proportion of ineffective trials across England will cause ‘unacceptable’ delays for victims and warned Government underfunding is a key cause.

Ministry of Justice figures show there were 903 trials listed at Liverpool Crown Court, where most serious Warrington criminal cases are heard, in 2021.

Of them, 20 per cent were classed as ineffective – meaning they had to be adjourned to a later date – up from 18 per cent the year before, and the most since records began in 2010.

Trials can be labelled as ineffective for many reasons, including the defence or prosecution not being ready or witnesses being absent.

A further 34 per cent of trials at Liverpool last year were cracked – when the Crown Prosecution Service drops the case or the defendant pleads guilty – and 46 per cent went ahead as planned.

Meanwhile at Chester, data states there were 250 trials listed in 2021, of which 19 per cent were ineffective, again rising from 12 per cent the year before.

An additional 31 per cent trials at Chester last year were cracked, while 50 per cent were effective.

Of the 21,805 crown court trials across England and Wales last year, just 48 per cent were effective – the lowest proportion in a decade.

Meanwhile, the proportion of ineffective trials rose to 23 per cent – the most since comparable records began in 2010.

The Law Society said some victims are being forced to wait years for justice, while potentially innocent defendants are also left in limbo.

Trial delays have risen at Liverpool Crown Court

Such is the court backlog that trials being tracked by the Warrington Guardian at Liverpool and Chester have been listed as par in advance as January 2023.

Stephanie Boyce, president of the Law Society, said the coronavirus pandemic is one factor, but lack of capacity in the system is another.

She said: “Decades of underfunding and cuts mean there simply are not enough judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers left to cover the huge backlog of cases.

“Defence lawyers will continue to leave the profession in their droves, and we will no longer have a criminal justice system worthy of the name unless the Government changes tack urgently.”

She said swift investment is needed across the criminal justice system to get it back on its feet.

The rate of ineffective trials varied significantly across England and Wales – from just nine per cent in Salisbury, to 39 per cent in Isleworth, west London.

Of the 180 ineffective trials at Liverpool Crown Court last year, 54 involved alleged drug offences – the most common type.

This was followed by violent offences (49) and possession of weapons (21).

At Chester, 11 of the 47 ineffective trials involved alleged sexual offences, the most common, followed by violent offences (seven) and theft offences.

The MoJ said its almost half a billion investment in court recovery shows it is doing everything it can to deliver swifter access to justice.

A spokesman added: “While the unprecedented impact of the pandemic has led to large numbers of court staff and counsel falling ill or being forced to self-isolate, our decisive action has kept justice moving.”