Courts face £90m budget shortfall

Justice will suffer because of the shortfall, say the Tories

Trials could be delayed because the court service in England and Wales is facing a £90m budget shortfall over the next three years, a senior judge warns.

A letter from Senior Presiding Judge Lord Justice Leveson to judges and magistrates warns of possible pay cuts, redundancies and cancelled sittings.

The shortfall has been caused by a drop in the income from family court fees.

The Conservatives, who obtained the letter, said it was a financial "black hole" of the government's own making.

Lord Justice Leveson's letter says, on top of existing efficiencies, the court service must find £27m savings this financial year, and a further £63m by April 2011.

Ministers ignored warnings from judges, magistrates and local authorities and now they do not have the money to address the shortfall Shadow justice minister Henry Bellingham

The main reason for the shortfall is that courts now expect to receive less income from fees for civil and family hearings than they anticipated.

In the search for savings, Lord Justice Leveson says all options are being considered, including redundancies in courts service staff.

The Conservatives said the government had ignored warnings from local authorities that they could not afford an increase in the court fees for care proceedings.

'Black hole'

Shadow justice minister, Henry Bellingham said: "Once again, this government's incompetence has led to a crisis in the justice system. If court sittings are cancelled and trials delayed, the public will be put at risk and justice undermined.

"Ministers ignored warnings from judges, magistrates and local authorities and now they do not have the money to address the shortfall. This is a black hole of their own making"

Ministers have promised victims and witnesses will not be affected by any savings that were made.