Barrister Strikes and Custody Time Limits

  Custody time limits seek to regulate the maximum period that a person can be held in custody before their trial commencing. Broadly speaking, that period is one of six months. To extend the period beyond six months, the prosecution must have acted with all due diligence and expedition, and there must be good and … Continued

Custody Time Limits & Young Defendants

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the government introduced changes to the custody time limit regulations that extended the custody time limits in the Crown Court by two months to address ongoing delays in the criminal justice system worsened during the pandemic. In September, Just for Kids Law, along with The Howard League for Penal … Continued

Custody time limits & Covid19

Whenever a person is remanded in custody in criminal proceedings, a time limit is set within which the trial must be concluded. The Covid lockdown meant that trials were temporarily suspended leading to issues with custody time limits, if a trial cannot take place within the specified timeframe an application can be made for the … Continued

The cost of the court backlog – detaining defendants for longer

In March, nearly 50% of courts were closed, and jury trials were halted to reduce interaction between court users dramatically. Although 90% of courts have re-opened there is a backlog of cases. The government has announced a series of new measures to address the current delays in criminal courts. Although some lawyers would argue that … Continued