PCC, John Campion has welcomed the Ministry of Justice announcement that will see an additional £285 million of Government money invested to improve courts and prisons this year, with £142 million allocated to modernising courtrooms.
The investment into courts system will speed up technological improvements, building on projects already in place to digitise court hearings.
PCC, John Campion said, “This investment will make a real difference to how justice is delivered in West Mercia. I am delighted that the Government answered calls to modernise the court system, upgrading technology and future-proofing the criminal justice system.”
“I have already invested locally by supporting Virtual Remand Hearings, but there is so much more to be done if we are going to ensure justice is delivered in a fair and timely way – too many victims are having to wait years to see justice delivered at present.”
“The court system is not immune from the effects the Covid-19 pandemic has had in our community, and I have recently called for urgent action to tackle court delays.
“I am committed to the needs of victims in West Mercia, and this will be welcome news to those that have waited too long to see their court cases heard. Unfortunately, those victims are likely to have suffered avoidable stress and anxiety caused by lengthy timescales to have their cases heard.”
Published Wednesday 1st July 2020
