As you may be aware, the Government’s scientific advisors have now moved the “Alert Level” relating to the current pandemic down to 3. As new cases of the infection have been falling and lockdown measures relaxed over the last few weeks, the impact on the Criminal Justice System has been noticeable. This blog will give you some brief updates on what you can expect if you come into contact with the police or courts.
Over the recent weeks (and since our last blog on this subject: https://www.davidgray.co.uk/blog/crime/crime-court-and-covid/) we have noticed that the number of people who are being arrested for crimes is on the increase. Where the police were reluctant to arrest people before and instead choosing to defer interviews until such a time as they could be conducted safely, the balance has now shifted and we have noticed a dramatic increase in the number of people arrested and interviewed. If you need to be interviewed by the police then contact David Gray Solicitors and we will be able to help you. Some people would prefer to be represented physically and in person at the police station; other people would prefer to be represented by a solicitor over the telephone to reduce human interaction to minimise risk. We can accommodate either preference.
Once charged, people’s first appearance is in a Magistrates Court. For a long time, people who were bailed to appear before the Magistrates Court were finding that the courts were adjourning their hearings because they could not be heard safely. The Magistrates Court are now hearing all types of cases, but not in the numbers that they were pre-lockdown. The capacity of the courts is increasing. If on the first appearance, a guilty plea is entered then, by and large, these cases are dealt with without too much disruption. On the other hand, the number of trials in the Magistrates Courts that are going ahead is very much reduced from pre-lockdown levels, but it is now finally greater than zero and increasing.
In Newcastle Crown Court, there are no trials going ahead at all. Other types of hearings are going ahead, but Defendants are only required to attend to be sentenced. Trials in the Crown Court will not commence until there is a way to ensure jurors who attend to execute a civil duty can do so without being exposed to unnecessary risk. The Government are looking at various proposals to help but there is nothing concrete yet. Some of the options are:
What we can say is that there is already a huge backlog of trials (approximately 40,000 nationally), and this number is increasing. We will keep you updated when there are more solutions to the problems.
Call our crime team on 0191 232 9547 if you would like any further information or representation, Legal Aid may be available. We represent defendants whose case is being heard in either the Magistrates’ Court or Crown Court.
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