Trials delayed until 2030, victims and defendants’ lives on hold, buildings without running water. Courts correspondent Tristan Kirk reports on a shameful declineAt a glance:• Defendants and victims talk about the impact of being trapped in a broken justice system, waiting for years - sometimes 2029 or 2030 - for it to end • Witnesses are at risk of withdrawing from the case while suffering significant mental strain, and serious crimes could end up being unresolved• Years of cuts by politicians, coupled with pandemic disruption and operational failures, have contributed to a spiralling backlog of cases, and now jury trials could be axed as a possible solution
