Opinion

Inefficient justice system needs urgent attention

Auditor General Kieran Donnelly has delivered a scathing assessment of inefficiencies in the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland, which he says does not deliver value for money.

His report, published yesterday, identified serious concerns at different stages of the justice process that clearly need urgent attention.

According to Mr Donnelly, it takes 515 days on average from the date a crime is reported until the completion of a trial.

For one in eight victims, the wait for a court outcome could be almost three years, which is deeply unsatisfactory.

Indeed, for some of those involved in a case, there is an inordinate amount of time spent waiting to give evidence and then not being called.

Mr Donnelly raised concerns over the poor quality of PSNI files which can impact on prosecutions while police officers attended court on more than 23,000 occasions in a single year yet in most cases were not called.

The sheer amount of time wasted by police, lawyers, victims, defendants and witnesses is clearly a significant issue and points to a highly inefficient system.

Criminal justice also costs more in Northern Ireland than it does in England or Wales and cases take considerably longer.

Certainly, it is not unusual to hear of high profile cases coming to court in England within a surprisingly short time after the event.

In Northern Ireland it is a different matter with lengthy delays, multiple hearings and repeated adjournments, which all add to the stress and anxiety on those directly involved.

Clearly, there needs to be a greater focus on providing a service that is cost effective and well managed.

This critical report has highlighted serious deficiencies which need to be addressed in a comprehensive manner.