The public should not be expected to visit dilapidated court buildings, one of the country’s most senior judges has said.
Lord Burnett of Maldon, the lord chief justice, said judges and staff have to work in conditions that would not be tolerated elsewhere. He added that the poor state of the buildings was a factor contributing to “low levels of morale” which he viewed “with considerable concern.”
He also warned that the “well-publicised impossibility” of filling vacancies on the High Court bench represented the “tip of the iceberg”. Unprecedented numbers of judges needed to be recruited over the next couple of years, he added. “Solving this problem quickly is vital to maintaining a respected and effective judiciary so fundamental to the rule of law and