Emily Dugan

My week in a magistrates’ court: no lawyers, missing translators, huge delays While the government has vowed to fix crippling delays in the Crown Courts, the bottom tier of British justice also appears to be in crisis, as Emily Dugan discovered in Swindon

This is an excellent in-depth look by @emilydugan.bsky.social at the mess that magistrates’ courts are in.

www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Thanks Jon!

My week in a magistrates’ court: no lawyers, missing translators, huge delays While the government has vowed to fix crippling delays in the Crown Courts, the bottom tier of British justice also appears to be in crisis, as Emily Dugan discovered in Swindon

Magistrates are being touted as part of the solution to the crown court crisis.

But what if their courts are in the throes of a crisis of their own?

I spent a week in Swindon Magistrates' Court to find out for this week's Sunday Times Magazine.

www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Andrew Malkinson: ‘What do you think a false rape conviction does to a man’s mind?’ Two years after his exoneration, the innocent man who spent 17 years in jail says he is scared to love but determined that no one suffers like him

Struggle to think of another ordinary citizen who has prompted more change to the justice system than Andrew Malkinson already has — and he's not stopping now.

My interview in this weekend's Sunday Times.

www.thetimes.com/article/7867...

Justice watchdog ‘misled parliament’ over Andrew Malkinson case The head of the Criminal Cases Review Commission is accused of giving ‘thoroughly inaccurate’ evidence on how an innocent man spent 17 years in jail

MPs are meeting today to discuss allegations that the head of the miscarriage of justice watchdog misled parliament.

Karen Kneller, CEO of the CCRC, is accused of giving “thoroughly inaccurate” evidence about its response to the Andrew Malkinson case.
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

After three years, I have left the Guardian and will miss many lovely, talented colleagues.

I'll be moving back to The Sunday Times, focusing on public interest investigations and longer-term projects.

Looking forward to rejoining the brilliant ST team after Easter.

‘Lives on hold’: a day in the crown court where cases are delayed for years Backlog in cases set to reach 100,000 in England and Wales without action on shortage of barristers and judges

If you want an idea of the way the justice system is unravelling, just spend a day in Crown Court.

This is my dispatch from Leicester, where hearings are now cancelled so routinely on the day that a fake court 99 is used to list those that have disappeared.

www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...

‘I’ve had four torturous years’: child sexual abuse survivors speak out over court delays When two women finally felt ready to name their abusers, they had no idea the legal system would add to their pain

At the eleventh hour, just before the trial was due to be heard, Tony Craig claimed he now had dementia.

The judge saw through it - Craig had recently travelled unaccompanied to Asia - but the justice crisis came close to allowing both brothers to avoid justice.

www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...

‘I’ve had four torturous years’: child sexual abuse survivors speak out over court delays When two women finally felt ready to name their abusers, they had no idea the legal system would add to their pain

Alison Ruby and Justine Clareboets were victims of the Craig brothers in the 70s and 80s.

They have waived their right to anonymity to explain the damage being done by the crisis in the court system. www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...

‘I’ve had four torturous years’: child sexual abuse survivors speak out over court delays When two women finally felt ready to name their abusers, they had no idea the legal system would add to their pain

Tony Craig was convicted last month of horrific sexual crimes against children.

His brother Richard Craig should have stood trial alongside him but he died during a five year wait for the case to be heard.

www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...