Woolf disappointed by criminal appeal delays

ANNUAL REVIEW: targets not met on convictions and sentences

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, this week expressed his disappointment that the average waiting time for disposing of criminal appeals has increased in the past year, despite the number of referrals to the Court of Appeal falling.

Speaking at his yearly press conference following publication of the annual review of the Court of Appeal's criminal division, he conceded that targets of eight months and five months, to hear appeals against convictions and sentences respectively, had not been met and 'that we have lost some ground in relation to the disposal of appeals'.

The review revealed that the average waiting time for appeals in 2001/02 was in fact 12.2 months for convictions and 5.6 months for sentencing, compared with figures of 9.8 and 4.8 months respectively in the year before.

This is despite the workload for the criminal division falling by 6% a year since 1999.

By way of explanation, Lord Woolf said: 'The appeals are becoming more difficult to dispose of.

The issues that arise are becoming more complex, partly due to the impact of the Human Rights Act.'

Lord Woolf also attacked the lack of government funding for the

Court Service and the continual budget cuts.

'I'm am afraid we are in a situation where, so far as the criminal justice system is concerned, we are facing the same problems as the health service, the education system and the transport system.

We have been under-resourced.'

Lord Woolf also supported the ending of mandatory life sentencing for murderers and the removal of the home secretary's power to decide on their tariffs.

Andrew Towler