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12 February 2021

Justice, delayed: How Covid-19 exposes our crumbling courts system

Victims, families, witnesses and defendants are trapped in limbo as courts restricted by the pandemic struggle to keep up with cases.

By Anoosh Chakelian

The year 2020 was a “time of two halves” for Edward Cooke, who runs a specialist family law practice in Sussex. As the UK locked down on 23 March and people were preoccupied with the pandemic’s daily challenges, the flow of work slowed down for many firms like his.

However, the government’s instruction to “stay at home” began to bring pre-existing relationship problems “to the fore”. As lockdown dragged on, the work built up.

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