CRACKED TRIALSCPS and defence lawyers in magistrates` courts as well as magistrates themselves are well aware of the forms to be signed subsequent to cracked or ineffective trials. Apparently these forms are poured over by HMCTS, as the entrails of chickens were by pagan witch doctors of a bygone era, in order so we are informed to analyse the myriad causes of the non effectivity. There was a time not so long ago when case management hearings were scheduled a few weeks in advance of many trials to iron out any possible foreseeable impediments to their going ahead as listed. That procedure was dropped, at least in my court, about a couple of years ago except for those within the context of domestic violence and even in those cases a CMH is no longer automatically scheduled. Presumably it was thought by those self described big brains in Whitehall, those with non existent ears, that speedy, swift, sure, summary, or justice of whatever description would no longer have to be impeded by case management hearings and so £hundreds of court and legal time would be saved. They were so wrong as have been many similar decisions at the Ministry of Justice. But the limp bureaucratic press office nonsense responses to the situation are of a different order as can be read in this report about trial non performance at Boston Magistrates` Court. The Taxpayers' Alliance also should shut up complaining about a situation of which it has total ignorance.

The Magistrates` Association rarely voices criticism of government actions and in the rare event it does it does so diminuendo. Until judges as a group speak openly about the ever worsening situation in the magistrates` courts I fear that the decline in efficiency will continue.