Police Federation wants action over court delays

The comments come in response to an increasing number of delays in court cases, and frequent adjournments.

Barry Horton, chair of West Mercia Police Federation said more barristers are needed as he spoke of the impact of delays and postponements on victims and officers.

Mr Horton made his comments after Shrewsbury Crown Court was forced to adjourn a rape trial for nearly 12 months because no barrister was available to prosecute the case across the entire country.

He said: "In so many cases, the lives of police officers are being dictated to by court hearings.

"Due to the ongoing backlog, court bookings are sometimes being made two years in advance now and what is more, officers are required to block-book time out in case those court hearings take place. It’s no surprise that officers are so hesitant about booking holidays, just in case they are called to court.

“What we’re also seeing is officers being called to court at short notice or with their pre-booked holiday not taken into consideration. In cases like these, they often feel the pressure to postpone or cancel their time off, which might mean they miss out on time with their family and loved ones.

“And then guess what happens? More often than not, the case is adjourned or cancelled. This can be for multiple reasons, with one of the main issues at the moment being a lack of barristers available.

“This is a typical example of police officers always taking the hit. And it’s completely unfair and totally acceptable.

“Why should officers sacrifice their pre-booked and pre-planned holidays and annual leave because of issues concerning the criminal justice system?”

Mr Horton said he could list ‘hundreds of examples’ where he has been told of this happening to members.

He added: "This is having a massive impact.

"As well as worrying about booking holiday, so many are also finding that their childcare is being impacted. Being shift workers, officers with kids have to be really organised when it comes to childcare – especially if their partners in the job too.

"Being called to court at short notice and then being told the case is adjourned can cause major problems, and cost the officer money for unexpected childcare.

"This is such a big issue, and not just for officers but for the victims too. Imagine the emotional impact this is having on victims, who are being messed around by court dates.

"It’s costing the system money, it’s affecting the wellbeing of so many and it’s taking up so much unnecessary time."

Mr Horton said one of the solutions would be allowing officers to pre-book their annual leave up to 18 months in advance, at all times.

As it stands, officers currently need to wait until October to book any holiday for the next financial year.

He said: "Let’s say I wanted to take advantage of the New Year sales and book a holiday now for June 2025, I won’t be able to actually book my annual leave until this October. If I could book it now though, 18 months in advance, neither myself nor the Crown Prosecution Service would have any uncertainty about when I was going to be off.

"And of course, the shortage of barristers is clearly a huge issue that needs to be addressed."