WATCH: Criminal justice system will be “at breaking point by autumn”, says Labour

David Lammy has warned that the criminal justice system will be “at breaking point by autumn” as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and has called for “speed and action” from the government.

In an interview with Sky News this morning, the Shadow Justice Secretary outlined his concerns – declaring that “justice is in a serious place” and highlighting a “huge backlog” of people awaiting trial.

He also said that there are “real concerns” for criminal lawyers in the UK who are currently unable to collect fees and are unprotected by the government’s support schemes.

Research by the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy has revealed that waiting times to hear cases could increase by more than 70% after a six-month lockdown.

There have now been a total of 165,221 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, but with low levels of testing the true figure is expected to be much higher. The recorded number of deaths currently stands at 26,097.