we don’t have red judges and courtrooms just hanging arround waiting for one to come along , a slot in the court diary neds to be found within the time limits.
Well if that’s part of the problem, then I can’t see how the coalition government’s announcement that they will close 140 courts – 93 magistrates’ courts and 49 county courts in England and Wales, will help the situation. But maybe they don’t care ? ……..perish the thought.
I guess with the closure of courts, cuts in police budgets, Ministry of Justice £2 billion cut – from an annual £9 billion budget, British justice will be even slower in the future.
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Thanks duckman and wrightyson, I’ve always had a fair interest in the Derek Bentley case not only because of the gross injustice involved, but also because it all happened local to me. Iris stayed living locally (I never met her though) and it was touching to see her so committed over the years to clearing her kid brother’s name. She never gave up hope and would write to every new Home Secretary after they were appointed, any local newspaper which would publish her letters, etc. – even the local trade union council. She was mostly ignored until books and a film covering the case came out. Eventually 45 years later, Derek Bentley’s conviction for murder was quashed, unfortunately Iris had died a few months earlier after a long illness. She had nevertheless, triumphed, and she had helped to make British justice a little fairer.