Miscarriages of justice and long delays in the criminal justice system are becoming more common because a growing number of people are having to represent themselves in court. A new report, Justice Denied, suggests that a combination of legal aid cuts, complex bureaucracy and inadequate support and information for defendants have led to more and more people having to appear in court without a lawyer.
The charity publishing the report, Transform Justice, gives an example of an unrepresented defendant remaining silent during his appearance via video link from a police station. Only after he had been sent to prison did it emerge that he was deaf!!!
