The UK Law Gazette and the parlous state of the UK’s legal infrastructure
Maggots ‘literally raining down’ from rotting seagulls is among the examples of problems with the courts estate cited by solicitors today. Nearly two thirds of respondents to a Law Society survey said they had experienced delays in hearing becaause of the state of court buildings. The report found ‘little improvement’ in the courts infrastructure since the previous survey in 2022.
According to the report, 63% of respondents had experienced adjournments or transfers in venue due to the state of the court. A third of solicitors whose cases had been held remotely as a result considered this inappropriate to the type of case.
The report said: ‘Other impacts noted by solicitors included a “failure to get one hour hearing for more than six months in the family court”…a prisoner with impaired mobility unable to access the cells, a “defendant not produced due to a misunderstanding and trial proceeded in absence”. There were also delays associated with interpreters, including interpreters not being booked, not attending, or being the wrong gender for case.’
The survey, which received 293 responses, found that only 5% of solicitors with a disability considered the physical state of the court to be fit for purpose ‘to a large extent’ which increased to 19% for those without a disability.
Read the full report
