The Justice Secretary claims that the “action” taken by his government in regards to the justice system during the pandemic “has been globally recognised”.

Let’s take a quick look at what this globally-recognised action amounts to.

[THREAD]

JURY TRIALS:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Waiting too long to close trial courts, exposing staff, lawyers and jurors to needless risk

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Lying about the case backlog - which was caused by govt cuts - claiming it was caused by Covid

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Threatening to remove the right to jury trial to deal with said backlog

THE COURTS:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Failing to introduce a uniform approach by courts to video hearings - multiple different platforms, protocols and rules, varying from court to court. Chaos.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Continuing to run filthy, unsafe magistrates’ court buildings without social distancing

THE BACKLOG:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">When it was immediately obvious that hundreds more buildings were needed to hold trials, dithering and identifying only TEN “Nightingale” court venues in 3 months. Some of these being among the 295 courts that the government only recently sold off, against advice.

THE LEGAL PROFESSION:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Threatening to force legal professionals to work evenings and weekends for free to clear the backlog caused by government cuts

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Withholding financial support from the legal profession, precipitating the collapse of the criminal Bar

PRISONS:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Locking down prisoners 23-hours a day due to Covid, while prioritising populist policies to increase prison sentences and the prison population

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign">Failing to make provision for prisoners to speak to their lawyers, causing delays of *months* for video conferences

I don’t doubt that this record may globally recognised. But I suspect it’s not for the reasons that the Justice Secretary would wish.