A barrister has paid tribute to the unsung heroes of the criminal justice system for their "sterling work" during the coronavirus pandemic but called for more government support for the courts.

Juliet Donovan, a criminal barrister who prosecutes and defends, hailed those involved with the courts for "keeping justice moving" in challenging circumstances.

Ms Donovan, 55, who was called to the bar in 2002, was speaking after four inspectors expressed "grave concerns" about the court case backlog in England and Wales, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report concluded that the "unprecedented and very serious court backlogs constitute the greatest risk to criminal justice and the ripple effects across all agencies are profound".

In response, the government said it was investing £450 million to "boost recovery in the courts and deliver swifter justice", insisting this was "already yielding results".

East Anglian Daily Times: Criminal barrister Juliet Donovan has paid tribute to the 'unsung heroes' of the criminal justice system for their work during the Covid-19 pandemicCriminal barrister Juliet Donovan has paid tribute to the 'unsung heroes' of the criminal justice system for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic (Image: Steve MacLaurin 2019 All Rights Reserved)

Ms Donovan, who regularly works at Ipswich Crown Court, said the technology allowing barristers and defendants to appear remotely is "working brilliantly" in the current climate.

"I think the courts, the judiciary and the list office are doing sterling work in trying to keep the show on the road," she said.

"The pressures are enormous on each of the presiding judges and resident judges. There's a lot of pressure on list officers, and they're all doing an incredible job in very challenging circumstances.

"The unsung heroes, the judiciary, the CPS case workers and lawyers, barristers, defence solicitors, police, the probation service, court staff, the jailers, all deserve a great amount of credit for doing their bit to keep justice moving while risking their health.

"The CVP/Microsoft Teams is working brilliantly. Especially now the judges are more attuned to allowing us to appear that way."

During the first national lockdown, the Lord Chief Justice paused new trials in light of the pandemic and the delays caused a case backlog, leaving courts struggling to find listings within the custody time limits.

Custody time limits - the amount of time that a defendant who has been refused bail can be kept in custody before their trial - have been extended in a bid to tackle the backlog.

But this sees those awaiting trial spending longer behind bars.

"I think from the point of view of any prisoner, and for judges alike, it's very difficult for both because judges are very concerned about the custody time limits, and those are the key words in this," Ms Donovan said.

"Although the law has changed and made it easier to seek custody time limit extensions because of the situation, it's equally not very good for prisoners who are languishing in prison, waiting for their trials to be heard and equally for victims of crime who are awaiting justice.

"And don't forget, they plead not guilty, because as far as they are concerned, they are innocent people languishing in prison awaiting trial."

East Anglian Daily Times: Staff at Ipswich Crown Court have been praisedStaff at Ipswich Crown Court have been praised (Image: ARCHANT)

The government has opened 19 Nightingale courts since July in a bid to reduce the backlog, and the Ministry of Justice is introducing an extended operating hours system to allow courts to hear more cases in a single day.

The issue of extended operating hours is a contentious point among barristers and Ms Donovan said some are in favour of extended hours while others are against it.

MORE: Courts to stay open during lockdown

"As barristers, we tend to work during court hours. We're here usually for 8.30am/9am so we're here in good time to take instructions," she said.

"And then we see our clients, and do the hearing. If it's a trial, we do that and then we're here all day. If it's a plea or anything else, then we make sure we know what the sentencing guidelines are and we make sure that we're ready to give the information to the judge.

"In terms of extended hours, that means that a barrister who's working all day must do his and her preparation in the evening, which means if we have extended hours, there's going to be very little time for preparation.

"One of the many reasons, that the bar and criminal solicitors have such high standards is that there is time in the evening to prepare, and get ready for their cross examination and to prepare their closing speeches or prepare for other cases.

"There's a lot of work done behind the scenes that I'm not sure people appreciate, including the MPs who are suggesting these extended hours.

"But some of us would welcome extended hours. Some of us wouldn't.”

"Personally speaking, I would be happy to work extended hours. But for others, that might be an issue."

East Anglian Daily Times: Suffolk Magistrates' Court in IpswichSuffolk Magistrates' Court in Ipswich (Image: Archant)

The Bar Council, which represents around 17,000 barristers, has said the £110million allocated to courts service in last year's government spending review does not go far enough.

The council has called for a cash injection of an extra £55 million to improve courts and increase capacity.

"Any investment into the criminal justice system would be most welcome," Ms Donovan added.

"I'm not sure how much the Ministry of Justice prioritise and how much they represent us as an independent section of the criminal justice system.”

"I'm not sure how openly the government and successive governments have wanted to support the criminal bar.

"We do need the support of the government and the Treasury. The rule of law is important. I'm not sure people realise how important it is, until they get into trouble."