A RECORD proportion of trials were postponed at Bradford Crown Court during a period which saw barristers go on strike across England and Wales, new figures show.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show that of the 187 trials listed at crown court in Bradford between July and September 2022, 91 were 'ineffective', meaning they had to be postponed to a later date.
At 49 per cent, this was the highest proportion for July to September any year since records began in 2014.
In contrast, in the three months to September 2014, just seven per cent were ineffective.
Trials can be labelled as ineffective for a range of reasons, including the defence or prosecution not being ready, or witnesses being absent.
Meanwhile, 30 per cent of trials at the city’s crown court were 'cracked' last year – when the Crown Prosecution Service drops the case or the defendant pleads guilty – and 21 per cent were deemed effective, meaning the trial went ahead as planned.
Across England and Wales, ineffective crown court trials also rose to their highest rate on record between July and September – 56 per cent had to be postponed, up from 31 per cent the previous quarter. A further 18 per cent were cracked, and just 25 per cent of trials went ahead on their scheduled date over the period.
Criminal barristers in England and Wales began an indefinite strike on September 5, 2022, after their action against the Government's proposals for legal fees intensified.
The walkouts ended in October, when members of the Criminal Bar Association accepted a package of measures, including a 15 per cent legal aid fee increase for most crown court cases.
The MoJ said a lack of defence barrister availability due to the strikes was the main driver behind the high level of ineffective trials in the latest quarter.
Lubna Shuja, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, said: "The impact of decades of underinvestment in our criminal justice system is plain to see.
"The latest figures show huge backlogs in our criminal courts and unacceptably long delays for victims and defendants to access justice."
The MoJ said it had worked hard to reduce the caseload since the barrister strikes.
"We are doing all we can to ensure courts are working at full capacity. Measures such as unlimited sitting days and increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers are helping restore the swift access to justice that victims deserve."
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