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Asbestos, mould, rotten seagulls and cells flooding with excrement are among the problems experienced in crumbling courts in England and Wales, the Law Society has found.
The professional body for solicitors said deteriorating buildings and unreliable technology were contributing to the record backlog in crown courts and undermining confidence and trust in the justice system.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents to the Law Society survey reported experiencing delays in cases being heard in the past 12 months because of the state of the courts. Some cases were adjourned, while others were moved online or transferred to different venues.
One respondent in South Shields, South Tyneside, said: “The court had to close early for two days within the last 12 months or so. This was because dead and rotting seagulls were within the roof insulation. The court had to close because maggots were literally raining down on to the lobby.”
More everyday problems included inadequate air conditioning, dilapidated toilets and poor technology, ranging from poor quality remote hearings to software problems and a lack of working plug sockets.
The Law Society president, Richard Atkinson, said: “The poor state of court buildings across England and Wales is both a contributor to the huge backlog of court cases and an illustration of the woeful lack of investment in our justice system. Government underfunding is denying us, our children and our businesses a vital public service.
“The backlog in our crown courts stands at more than 76,957 cases, while two-thirds of care cases in family courts take longer than the 26-week time limit. There are currently 35,475 open family court cases, according to recent statistics.
“Behind each of these statistics are tens of thousands of adults and children who could be freed from limbo and move forward with their lives if they could have their day in court.”
The survey found the same proportion of solicitors considered the physical state of the court fit for purpose only “to some extent” (55%) or “to a large extent” (17%) as in the last poll in 2022.
One in five of almost 300 respondents in the latest survey, which was published on Thursday, said the technology in the courts was “not at all” fit for purpose.
The Law Society said problems in the courts could deny clients access to justice – with many at risk of losing jobs and facing insecure housing situations – as well as wasting time and money.
Solicitors with a disability were significantly more likely to find the physical state of the courts “not at all fit” for purpose (45%) compared with those without (25%). This was owing to limited accessibility in court buildings, such as an absence of ramps and working lifts.
Issues with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), associated with crumbling schools and other buildings, were highlighted at courts in Doncaster, Preston and Harrow.
A judicial office holder at Doncaster crown court said: “The magistrates court has Raac in the ceiling. Nobody has sought to fix it so the magistrates court has decamped to one half of the crown court (the other half occupied by the coroner’s court). If I am not in the one available court with a dock, I am operating in an office room being used as a courtroom with a kitchen as my retiring room.”
Atkinson said more must be done to address the £1.3bn courts’ maintenance backlog.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This government inherited a justice system in crisis but is working flat out to ensure our courts and tribunals are safe, secure and equipped with the latest technology.
“We have already boosted capital funding to £148.5m and carried out around one million maintenance visits this year to make our buildings become fit for everyone who uses them.”
