00:00We've got a terrible backlog in our criminal justice system.
00:03It means if you're raped in our country today,
00:06you might be waiting until 2028 or 2029 for your hearing to come on.
00:11And that means that 60% of women at the moment and men are dropping out of those sorts of cases
00:17because the trauma over that period is obviously too challenging.
00:23For that reason, we have to bear down on the backlog.
00:25We've asked Sir Brian Leveson to look at this issue.
00:27It means reform, and I will be confirming the importance of juries in our system this afternoon,
00:34but reflecting on changes that we do need to make for crimes that have a lower sentence.
00:41For example, if you're in possession of cannabis, should that be dealt with by a jury?
00:45Should you be able to elect for a jury or should it be dealt with by a magistrate?
00:49And of course, I'll be investing in victims, 550 million, to support victims over this next period
00:55and in our legal profession, we do need more legal aid criminal barristers
01:00if we're going to get through that backlog, and they've got to be paid appropriately.
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