To fix today's record backlog figure in the Crown Court, you need a 10-year plan. You need to do something that will encourage students with a £50k debt, to go into criminal law. Not the unafordable huge City salaries, but something decent. It's not been like that for ages.

In light of the recent video, there is something that people need to have made abundantly clear... "He hit me first" is not a defence to an assault... Retaliation is not self-defence.

Thread of the most surreal villages on Earth 🧵 1. Marpissa in Paros, Greece

If anyone is wondering what the level of "collapse" now is in the Crown Courts: At nearly 3pm the day before a PTPH for a remanded defendant accused of section 20 wounding (DV) there's no Draft indictment and no key statements or exhibits AT ALL been served.

Magistrates: "Have you been busy, Mr Covert?" Me: "Always, your Worships..." Magistrates: "Just think of the money!" Me: "Oh... no... If I do that, I'll start to cry..."

Thinking back to when the bench were told the Defendant was deaf but they thought they could get through the hearing by just shouting at them.

As I made clear at the time, the appeal would be heard very very quickly. Anyone with experience and knowledge of the criminal justice system knows this. 1/6

Feeling a lot of second hand embarrasment watching what just happened in the Oval Office... What a horrid display from Vance and Trump.

Anyone supporting a bill to withdraw from the ECHR without knowing what 'bill of rights' will replace it is an absolute 🍩

Jury trials to be scrapped in most cases to tackle court backlog “The plans would “eviscerate the jury trial as we know it”. One said: “This is basically a Star Chamber or French justice — it is the end of the right to jury trial.” thetimes.com/article/a1a214…

“The move will be highly controversial. Senior criminal justice figures have already described the plan as “the biggest assault on our system of liberty in 800 years” and suggested that it would lead to “star chamber” justice. The Star Chamber, which sat between the 15th and 17th

For a Lord Chancellor to want to save money on a system successive governments have not funded is understandable. But to seek the abolition of jury trial without consultation or argument - is a disgrace to David Lammy as it would be to any barrister. thetimes.com/uk/law/article…

The Governments response to consecutive Governments mismanaging the criminal justice system is to take away your right to a jury trial. It's indicative of a Government that will dispense with some of your most fundamental rights just to save on some cash.