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Commenting on the findings of Part 2 of Sir Brian Leveson’s independent review of the criminal courts in England and Wales, APCC Joint Leads on Criminal Justice, Danielle Stone and Alison Hernandez, recently said:

“We welcome Sir Brian’s honest and detailed review of our criminal justice system. It mirrors our experience and frustrations of a system riddled with problems. It’s unacceptable that the courts are now asking victims to wait until 2030 for their case to be heard.

“As PCCs, we fund local victim services which play a vital part in supporting victims through the broken system Sir Brian describes. Solving the problems the sector faces is our shared responsibility – police, prosecution, courts, defence, judiciary all have a part to play to make the system work. What’s clear is we cannot ignore the problems. Being more open to working collaboratively to solve problems and deal with cases more quickly will benefit all those who come into contact with the criminal justice system, particularly victims, but witnesses and defendants, too.

“We are disappointed by Sir Brian’s assertion that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Deputy Mayors should no longer chair their Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) given the responsibility that Local Policing Bodies have for victims and the wider public. We urge the government to make clear that the bodies that replace PCCs must be included on LCJBs as this is essential to ensure the public have a voice in the criminal justice system, locally and nationally.”

“We look forward to the government’s response to the recommendations so that we as local leaders can take this work forward in our local areas.”

Notes

• Alison Hernandez is Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall
• Danielle Stone is Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire
• The Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: Part 2 can be found via gov.uk