Justice matters are too centralised, despite Labour’s post-election pledge to implement a devolution revolution, the new northern division of law reform thinktank Justice says today. Justice North said there is clear evidence that devolved decision-making to local leaders can deliver better outcomes than central control.
In the legal sector specifically, it cited examples of where devolved powers have led to noticeably improved services.
In the 2024 King’s speech, the newly-elected Labour government pledged an immediate change in the approach to transfer power out of Westminster and into communities across the UK. But justice in England and Wales continues to be managed largely by central government.
Fiona Rutherford, chief executive of Justice, said: ‘This government came into power with the promise to give people control of what matters to them. Yet current Westminster focus could not be further from the task of giving communities a role in building justice systems they can trust.’
The report, which features interviews with stakeholders including the Ministry of Justice, lawyers, police and probation officers, public servants, academics and community organisations, stresses that locally-led initiatives can and do work well. It cites the work of Liverpool Crown Court, which has encouraged plea bargains and inverted the practice of handling less serious cases as the lowest priority. The average wait from charge to trial is now down to 206 days – more than 100 days faster than the national average.
Another example given is a Family Drug and Alcohol Court in Leeds, funded by the third sector, to deal with care proceedings involving parents with substance abuse issues. In the financial year 2023-24, it reported savings of more than £935,000 as well as a reduction in contested hearings, fewer children being placed into care and more being reunited with their families.
The report says: ‘These case studies demonstrate the value of collaboration and convening. No single organisation acts alone. In each case, the ability to build relationships, pool resources and present a coherent voice to government has amplified the impact any individual organisation could achieve in isolation.’
The report will officially be launched this evening at the Liverpool office of Broudie Jackson Canter, Justice’s longest-serving corporate member. The event will be opened by Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram and will feature talks from former Supreme Court president Baroness Hale of Richmond and former shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti.
Esther Leach, managing director of Broudie Jackson Canter, said: ‘We welcome the launch of this important report, which I hope will be the first step towards redressing this imbalance and ensuring that the north of England does not get left behind when it comes to the effective administration of justice.’
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