Justice largely on “sidelines” of English devolution debate, report warns

Established in 2025 to ensure justice policy is informed by the specific challenges and opportunities of the North of England, JUSTICE North warned that justice devolution in the North of England has “stalled”, with the region falling behind other parts of the country.

In its inaugural report, published last month, JUSTICE North suggested that local innovation has often happened despite, rather than because of, government action.

It said: “Liverpool Crown Court has cut the average wait from charge to trial to 206 days - more than 100 days faster than the national average - through pioneering fast-tracks trials and other practical measures.

“Another example is a Family Drug and Alcohol Court in Leeds, funded by the third sector, dealing with care proceedings involving parents with substance abuse issues. In the financial year 2023-24, it reported savings of more than £935,000, as well as a reduction in contested hearings, fewer children being placed into care and more being reunited with their families.”

Looking at the evolution of English Devolution more widely, the report warned that justice has “remained peripheral to the devolution agenda”.

It added: “Within England, where the devolution agenda is developing rapidly and where the question of how justice should fit within it, this challenge remains largely unanswered.”

The report suggested eight principles for reform:

• Meaningful local consultation: Changes to justice functions must be developed with communities, rather than announced and imposed upon them. 
• Accountability: Given the need for variation in successful justice devolution, clear oversight and responsibility are needed.
• Transparency: Without clear, accessible information on outcomes, cross-area comparisons are difficult, and policy learning is stunted.
• Share best practice: Effective communication is essential to enable shared learning and improve the visibility of decision-making.
• Use the right tool for the job: Decisions about justice devolution should be guided by the nature of the function concerned, rather than institutional convenience or geographic symmetry.
• Bottom-up design: Locally-driven decision-making is essential to ensure justice functions are delivered in a way that responds to local need and secures buy-in from stakeholders.
• Long-term funding: Short-term grant arrangements and competitive bidding cycles undermine the long-term relationships and capacity required to deliver effective justice devolution.
• Culture and institutional commitment: The most durable reforms are sustained by a shared purpose, genuine collaboration and institutional commitment.

Fiona Rutherford, Chief Executive of JUSTICE, said: “This government came into power with the promise to give people control of what matters to them. Yet current Westminster focus could not be further from the task of giving communities a role in building justice systems they can trust.

“The Norths shows what’s possible when local leaders and citizens work together to match justice services to local needs. JUSTICE North aims to nurture and highlight these exciting green shoots while ensuring central government creates the conditions to bring justice closer to home for us."

Lottie Winson