A 2019 Conservative manifesto pledge to set up a royal commission on the criminal justice process appears to have been booted even further into the long grass.
Lord chancellor Dominic Raab was asked just before Christmas by Labour backbencher Mary Kelly Foy if he would make it his policy to convene a royal commission on criminal justice before the next general election, which must be held by January 2025.
Justice minister Mike Greer replied that the Ministry of Justice ‘recognises the opportunity that a royal commission could present to look at structural questions in the criminal justice system’ but ‘we think it is right that, following the pandemic and the [Criminal Bar Association]’s disruptive action, we focus on delivering recovery priorities over the coming months’.
A royal commission to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system was announced in the Queen's speech following the December 2019 general election.
Asked if the government still intends to set up a commission before the next election, a ministry spokesperson told the Gazette: ‘Work on the royal commission was paused during the pandemic as we focused on keeping the justice system moving. We continue to keep issues in the justice system under review and are now focused on delivering major reforms to boost the rights of victims, overhaul the response to rape, drive down the pandemic-induced backlog and help offenders turn their backs on crime to better protect the public.’
The department highlighted major justice system reforms announced in recent months, such as the Victims Bill, rape action plan, prisons white paper and parole reform.
Last year, then justice minister Lord Wolfson told the House of Lords that the government was ‘absolutely committed to the delivery of this key manifesto pledge’.
The Gazette understands that ministry staff were seconded to the commission and have since been reassigned. In 2020 the ministry advertised for a full-time deputy director-secretary to the commission on a salary of £72,500. The Gazette understands someone was recruited and has also been reassigned.
The last royal commission on criminal justice was established by the home secretary on 14 March 1991. Its 276-page report was published on 6 July 1993.
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