Legal News

Michael Gove is expected to say in his first speech as Justice Secretary today (23/06/15) that victims of crime are being let down.

The former Education Secretary is expected to criticise the UK’s “dysfunctional justice system” – and say it is providing a “world-beating service” to wealthy foreigners who come to the UK for divorce hearings, while “failing” Britain’s own victims of crime, the Daily Mail reports.

His speech is expected to raise the issue the “wealthy international class” who come to Britain to fight divorce cases and business disputes in UK courts – and who are receiving the “finest legal provision in the world”.

In contrast, rape victims have to wait two years for their cases to be heard, as the criminal courts make “excuses for failure”, Mr Gove will say.

Under Mr Gove’s predecessor, Chris Grayling, Legal Aid was cut for many criminal and family cases, leaving some without funding and lawyers working for lower fees. In 2010, the Ministry of Justice had a budget of £9.9billion, which will be nearer £6 billion by March 2016, following budget cuts.

However, Mr Gove is expected to talk about issues such as the late arrival of prisoners for court cases, broken video links, missing court papers, as well as lawyers sometimes receiving court papers just hours before cases begin.

He is expected to tell MPs:

“Despite our deserved global reputation for legal services, not every element of our justice system is world-beating.

“While those with money can secure the finest legal provision in the world, the reality for many of our citizens is that the justice system is failing them – badly.

“There are two nations in our justice system – the wealthy, international class who can choose to settle cases in London with the gold standard of British justice; and then everyone else, who has to put up with a creaking, outdated system to see justice done in their own lives.

“The people let down most badly are those who must take part in it through no fault of their own – victims and witnesses of crime and children who have been neglected.”


The cuts to Legal Aid have left many acting for themselves in court as litigants in person if they are unable to afford lawyers’ fees.

Mr Gove is expected to make further cuts to the Ministry of Justice budget, as well as drafting the British Bill of Human Rights to replace the Human Rights Act and reinstate the Supreme Court as the highest appeal court in the UK, over the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg.

It is anticipated some of his comments will further anger the criminal bar, whose members have staged half-day strikes in protest against Legal Aid cuts in criminal defence.

However, Mr Gove is expected to say Mr Gove that he has seen lawyers “struggle to explain” why criminal cases are not going ahead – and that he has “watched as judges question advocates about the most basic procedural preliminaries in what should be straightforward cases, and find that no one in court can provide satisfactory answers”.

“The waste and inefficiency inherent in such a system are obvious – but perhaps even more unforgivable is the human cost,” he is expected to say.

”We urgently need to reform our criminal courts. We need to make sure prosecutions are brought more efficiently, unnecessary procedures are stripped out, information is exchanged by email or conference call rather than in a series of hearings – and evidence is served in a timely and effective way.

“Then we can make sure more time can be spent on ensuring the court hears high quality advocacy, rather than excuses for failure,” Mr Gove will say today.

Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers

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There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and a criminal defence lawyer can usually reach a police station or court in under an hour.

Duncan Lewis is a leading provider of Legal Aid criminal defence services.

For expert legal advice on all criminal charges, call Duncan Lewis on 020 7923 4020.

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