Until the single justice procedure is fundamentally overhauled, miscarriages of justice will continue to be uncovered. A joint Evening Standard/ITV News investigation has again revealed vast inadequacies in the system, from grieving families to pensioners with dementia and even the dead being wrongly prosecuted under secretive fast-track courts.
Take the story of Jenny Beasley. She faced prosecution after accidentally letting her car insurance lapse for a single day while mourning the death of her three-month old daughter. Beasley wrote a letter to the court, setting out the tragic circumstances, yet was hit with a criminal conviction because prosecutors — who possess the power to withdraw cases — failed to see her heartbreaking testimony, a direct consequence of the speed and design of the SJP.
The Standard, alongside our award-winning courts correspondent Tristan Kirk, has led the charge against the injustices inherent in the system. And the cries for change are growing louder. No lesser authority than former lord chief justice Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, who oversaw the criminal courts of England and Wales when the SJP was introduced in 2015, has said reform is now “overdue”.
Prison overcrowding will draw the headlines and consume ministerial time. But if the Labour government is serious about reforming the criminal justice system, it must start with curtailing the excesses of fast-track courts.
Eyes on the prize
The long-overdue pedestrianisation of Oxford Street will be a boon to locals, tourists and businesses. But one group likely to lose out is cyclists. The capital has increasingly become a safer, better place to get around by bike, but Sadiq Khan has rightly confirmed that they will not be able to whizz past pedestrians on the traffic-free street.
The scheme will need to be well thought through. Transport for London must work closely with Westminster council to ensure that inconvenience to locals, or those reliant on buses, is kept to an absolute minimum. Sensible alternative routes will be vital. But be in no doubt: the prize on offer — returning Oxford Street to its position as Europe’s premier shopping destination — is worth fighting for.
Emin’s raw emotion
“Sincerity can sometimes feel in short supply”, our reviewer Nancy Durrant observes. But not when it comes to Dame Tracey Emin, who returns time and again to her life for her primary material.
Dame Tracey’s latest exhibition, I followed you to the end at Bermondsey’s White Cube, is the culmination of yet another outpouring of creativity and raw emotion. Think anguish, disappointment, heartache and love. It is thrilling, and on display from tomorrow to November 10.
