Court case delays putting 'lives on hold'

Victims and defendants facing long delays waiting for their cases to come to court say their lives are being "left on hold".

It can take almost a year to get a jury trial at Newcastle Crown Court after a case has been listed, and eight months at Teesside, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show.

The MoJ said it was "committed" to reducing delays after inheriting "a criminal justice system in crisis".

One woman, who has waited three years for allegations against her partner to be dealt with, said: "It's stressful, it takes a toll on you."

The woman, who the BBC has agreed not to name, added: "You just want to give up and think what's the point of taking it to court."

Defence solicitor Olivia Gates, from Middlesbrough law firm Watson Woodhouse, said, including the time taken to investigate the allegation, some of her clients had been waiting for years.

Some had been interviewed in 2020 for offences dating back to 2018, charging the culprit had taken another five years and the trial was listed for two years after that, she said.

"The alleged offences are so long ago they’re struggling to recollect events," she said.

"Their lives are on hold."

Victims' groups said delays could lead to complaints being dropped due to the stress of waiting to get to court.

Richinda Taylor, of Redcar group Eva, which represents victims of domestic and sexual violence, said: "For some women it can be really distressing to wait all that time and to have that hanging over them."

Figures from the MoJ show in 2023 it took an average of 48 weeks to get a case resolved by a jury in Newcastle from the time it was first referred to the crown court.

At Teesside Crown Court, it took more than eight months to complete the legal process; at York it took six and a half months; at Carlisle nearly five months; and at Durham it took 17 weeks.

The MoJ said: "This government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis, with a record and rising crown court backlog.

"While we are bound by a difficult financial inheritance, we are committed to bearing down on it and reducing delays."

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