Britain’s Crumbling Courts Fight Fleas, Sewage and Budget Cuts
Decrepit UK courtrooms show a justice system at a breaking point, and austerity could make it worse.
Wood Green Crown Court halted trials on Dec. 13 due to faulty heating.
Photographer: Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
A courthouse in southeastern England had sewage seeping out of pipes for months, a justice building in Wales was beset with fleas and a criminal barrister in London regularly sprayed perfume to mask the smell from damp, moldy walls.
In the midst of a long-slow decline from a lack of investment, the UK’s justice system is reaching a breaking point. Court backlogs are near record levels, and low pay and legal-aid rates led to a historic walkout of criminal trial lawyers this summer. It could all get worse as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government shifts into austerity mode.