Victims Commissioner resigns in furious blast at ‘justice system in chaos’
The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has dramatically quit – saying the criminal justice system is “in chaos” in a furious swipe at the government.
In a scathing letter to Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis, Dame Vera Baird lashed out at a lack of action on the backlog of cases in courts.
She said victims of crime and their families are being exposed to “intolerable delay, anguish and uncertainty” because of a “catastrophic” build-up of cases.
She said: “Little has been done to effectively tackle the enormous and catastrophic backlog of cases, particularly in the Crown Court where the most serious crimes are tried.
“This has exposed victims of these crimes to intolerable delay, anguish and uncertainty. It is no exaggeration to say that the criminal justice system is in chaos.”
Dame Vera added: “This downgrading of victims’ interests in the government’s priorities, along with the side-lining of the Victims’ Commissioner’s office and the curious recruitment process make clear to me that there is nothing to be gained for victims by my staying in post beyond the current extension.
“As such, my term will end on 30 September.”
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