Judges feel unloved as justice becomes unaffordable to most
An historic failure to modernise the court system has impacted on access to justice
Members of the judiciary do not feel valued or appreciated and the UK's justice system has become 'unaffordable to most', the Lord Chief Justice has warned parliament.
Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd also warned Westminster that the court system was not designed to cope with the considerable increase of litigants in person.
Highlighting a recent survey that found 77 per cent of judges felt their work had significantly increased over the past three years, Lord Thomas said there was a widespread feeling within the judiciary of 'not being valued or appreciated'.
In the introduction to his annual report, Lord Thomas said: 'The key issue in 2015, the 800th anniversary year of Magna Carta, was whether investment would be obtained to modernise the courts and tribunals and to secure their position as leaders in the world.
'The judiciary was both delighted and extremely grateful that, in the 2015 Autumn Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the provision of £738m for this purpose.'
In making the case for investment, Lord Thomas said there was a need to publicly explain the importance of the judicial system in maintaining a 'just and fair society, accountable and democratic government, and a strong economy'.
A failure to invest in the court system - and reduction in court buildings - has meant that many courtrooms have not been modernised, which has had an impact on access to justice.
Outdated IT systems, for example, have severely impeded the delivery of civil justice. The Lord Chief Justice's report highlighted that none of Lord Woolf's intended reforms from 1999 have ever been provided.
In addition, Lord Thomas found the structure of the courts and tribunals had not permitted sufficient flexibility for the efficient deployment of the judiciary.
'The delivery of the reform programme will require and enable us to tackle these and a number of other issues,' said the UK's top judge.
'Although the judiciary does not underestimate the substantial and difficult task ahead, we are encouraged by the successful piloting both of the digital case system in criminal cases in the Crown Court and of the e-judiciary programme for judges.'