📢 CourtWatch is back! Are you signed up yet? 👀We’re looking for volunteers from all corners of England and Wales to go into their local magistrates’ courts, observe, reflect and report back to us. 📝How are defendants being treated? Are the courts accessible? What’s causing delays?

📢 CourtWatch is back - and this time we’re taking on the whole of England and Wales! We’re looking for volunteers to observe hearings in their local magistrates’ courts and report back to us. 🔗Sign up now to get info on online training sessions transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlo...

📢 CourtWatch is back - and this time we’re taking on the whole of England and Wales! We’re looking for volunteers to observe hearings in their local magistrates’ courts and report back to us. 🔗Sign up now to get info on online training sessions transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlo...

💡 New Insight 💡 Why is open justice so important? Fionnuala Ratcliffe explores this complex topic in our latest insight, drawing on experiences of observers in our @courtwatchldn.bsky.social programme ⬇️ www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

“I know too much”: is open justice always a good thing? - Transform Justice

transformjustice.org.uk

Courtwatcher Rosemin, who took part in @courtwatchldn.bsky.social, describes the "chaos" of Mondays at London magistrates' courts. 🎧Want to hear more about what courtwatchers observed? Catch up on the full episode here: pod.fo/e/3ecb82 And don't forget to let us know your thoughts below!

💡New Insight 💡 Shoplifting is on the rise. What's the best method of dealing with it? Ella Thomson draws on observations from the @courtwatchldn.bsky.social project to explore how police, courts & govt could go about tackling this issue. Read it now!⬇️ www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

Is prosecuting shoplifting the answer? - Transform Justice

transformjustice.org.uk

Defendants won't always understand the complex legal language used by court professionals. Here Prof. Jessica Jacobson touches on the barriers to making sure defendants can understand and effectively participate in their own hearings. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: pod.fo/e/3ecb82

⚠️Last chance to sign up for our webinar tomorrow! We'll be diving into what our courtwatchers observed in London magistrates' courts - were the courts efficient? Were court staff kind? Could defendants participate effectively? 🔗Join us! Register now: eventbrite.co.uk/e/courtwatch...

Join us next week for a CourtWatch London webinar! ☑️ Hear about findings from both our newly-released reports ☑️Hear from courtwatchers on their experiences and their takes on defendant treatment and efficiency in London magistrates’ courts. 🎟️ Register now - eventbrite.co.uk/e/courtwatch...

💡New Insight 💡 Judging kindness: are magistrates' courts getting it right? 🔗Hear more about @courtwatchldn.bsky.social findings - sign up for our webinar on Tuesday 14th April 1pm-2pm: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/courtwatch... www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

Judging kindness: are magistrates' courts getting it right? - Transform Justice

However, not all the issues observed by courtwatchers were systemic; many depended on individual conduct. The extent to which defendants and their family members are shown kindness and consideration is in the gift of individual judges, lawyers and court staff. While it may be hard for a magistrate to influence the system (e.g. whether an interpreter is correctly booked), they can and often do choose kindness.

transformjustice.org.uk

Join us next week for a CourtWatch London webinar! ☑️ Hear about findings from both our newly-released reports ☑️Hear from courtwatchers on their experiences and their takes on defendant treatment and efficiency in London magistrates’ courts. 🎟️ Register now - eventbrite.co.uk/e/courtwatch...

CourtWatch London in the Law Society Gazette ⚖️ Read our brand new report on treatment of defendants in London magistrates' courts here: www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/... www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/call-fo...

Call for training and appraisals to improve treatment of defendants

Transform Justice's latest court observation has led to recommendations on how to better defendants' participation.

lawgazette.co.uk

Thanks to all who came to our event on Tuesday to mark the launch of our new report. A special thank you to our panel @kirstybrimelow.bsky.social, Rosemin Najmudin & Barbara Bond. 🔗Read the report on treatment of defendants in London magistrates' courts: www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

⚠️ New CourtWatch London report! How are defendants treated in the magistrates' courts? Are they able to effectively participate in their hearings? Find out what our courtwatchers observed in our brand new report ⬇️ www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

CourtWatch London in the Law Gazette! 👀 🔗➡️And have a read of our brand new report exploring efficiency (or lack thereof) in London magistrates' courts here: www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/... www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/over-a-...

Over a third of magistrates' hearings delayed or adjourned, report finds

More than 2,300 hearings in various London courts were observed by volunteer 'courtwatchers' over a five-month period.

lawgazette.co.uk

💡New Insight 💡 Drawing on our new @courtwatchldn.bsky.social report, @penelopegibbs.bsky.social explores the magistrates' court backlog and what courtwatchers had to say about efficiency in the courts. 🔗 www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

Justice in limbo: what’s causing the court backlog? - Transform Justice

transformjustice.org.uk

CourtWatch London in the Telegraph! @telegraph.co.uk We've analysed courtwatcher observations from over 2300 hearings across London, to find out what kind of inefficiencies are contributing to the court backlog. 🔗Check out the findings: www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

Theft and assault cases taking up to four years to get to court

Backlog means suspects forget details of charges and alleged offences by the time they arrive at magistrates

telegraph.co.uk

⚠️ New CourtWatch London report! It’s finally here… the culmination of more than 2300+ magistrates’ court hearings observed, recorded and analysed. A massive thank you to all of our volunteer courtwatchers for making this possible! Read it now: 🔗 transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

Beyond reasonable delay: efficiency in London magistrates’ courts - Transform Justice

transformjustice.org.uk

💡New Insight 💡 Dr Jill Harbord of University of Sussex explores the marginalisation of people facing homelessness in our magistrates' courts. Read it now ⬇️ @sheltercharity.bsky.social | @crisis-uk.bsky.social | @stmungos.bsky.social www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

“Am I going to prison?”: how defendants are excluded & marginalised - Transform Justice

transformjustice.org.uk

Courtwatchers have been questioning whether some cases belong in court at all. At @transformjustice.bsky.social, we’ve long argued that many offences could be resolved better outside of court. See what some courtwatchers had to say below ⬇️ 🧵[1/8]

Some courtwatchers have reported magistrates and court staff failing to acknowledge or include defendants during their own hearings. Read more from our courtwatchers below ⬇️ 🧵[1/7]

Some courtwatchers have raised concerns about hearings that reflect a criminalisation of poverty. With food and essentials more expensive than ever, it’s unfortunately unsurprising that many courtwatchers have witnessed hearings where the defendants are accused of stealing food. 🧵[1/6]

Many courtwatchers have witnessed hearings where the defendant is experiencing homelessness. For the most part, magistrates have shown understanding and compassion: trying to take people’s circumstances into account and signposting to support services. 🧵[1/8]

⚠️One courtwatcher observed a deeply disturbing case: a defendant so unwell and heavily medicated he was effectively unable to participate in his own trial - and yet it went ahead with no accommodations at all. 🧵[1/8]

⚠️ Inefficiency around pre-sentence reports are a big cause of delays in the mags’ courts. Almost 1 in 6 of the delays or adjournments observed by courtwatchers throughout the project were so that pre-sentence reports could be written. 🧵[1/6]

👁️‍🗨️“CourtWatch has given me a lot to think about.” One month on from the end of the project, our volunteer courtwatchers have been reflecting about what they learned from their courtwatching experiences; the good and the bad, and what they might do differently going forward. #CourtWatchLondon

⚠️Faulty court technology is preventing the public from seeing crucial evidence. Across dozens of hearings, courtwatchers saw faulty video screen links to be a source of delays and found they were unable to see the evidence originally intended to be viewed by the entire courtroom. 🧵[1/6]

Where a defendant should sit during a hearing is a contentious topic. The controversial dock has long been the default option for defendants in England and Wales. But, as then Hackney Central MP Baron Clinton Davis said in the House of Commons all the way back in 1972: ⬇️ 🧵[1/8]

To what degree should someone’s mental health be taken into consideration by the law? One courtwatcher observed a case where a man was charged with failure to stop and remain at a road traffic accident & failure to supply a breath sample, as he drove to the Thames intending to end his life. 🧵[1/8]

For justice to be truly open, our courthouses must be accessible. We ask each courtwatcher to fill out our open justice form once per court visit (not per hearing) which includes a question on accessibility. As you can see, the results are largely positive! 🧵[1/4]