The Spring Budget was delivered by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on 6 March 2024. It offered little by way of comfort so far as the criminal justice system is concerned.
Although overall departmental spending is said to rise by 1%, this is not evenly spread, with protected spending (such as on the NHS), receiving a more significant percentage share. In TV interviews, the Chancellor emphasised that protected spending was ‘prioritising the public services that people care about’.
Regrettably, the Ministry of Justice is not a protected department, and whilst it is proper to note that department spending reviews for 2025 onwards have not yet taken place, projections suggest spending at £500m lower than current projections.
While the Chancellor seems to believe that some public services can be delivered for less by implementing new ways of working and better efficiencies, experience tells us that it often does work out this way. A recent example of this includes changes announced by HMCTS to the planned rollout of the troubled Common Platform programme in the Crown Court.
More detailed reforms specific to criminal justice include:
We ensure that we stay up to date with changes in legislation and case law so that we are always best placed to give our clients the best possible advice. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your case, please contact Tarsem Salhan on 0121 605 6000 or at tsalhan@salhan.co.uk.