A RECORD number of trials were postponed to a later date at a Sussex crown court last year, figures have revealed.

Out of 498 trials listed at Lewes Crown Court in 2021, more than a quarter (28 per cent) were classed as “ineffective”, meaning they had to be adjourned to a later date - up from 22 per cent on the year before and the highest number since records began in 2010.

Trials can be listed as ineffective for a variety of reasons, including witnesses being absent, the defence or prosecution not being ready, or “overlisting” - which means some cases will only be heard if court time becomes available.

A further 23 per cent of trials at the court last year were “cracked”, meaning the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the cases or the defendant pleaded guilty.

Only 49 per cent of trials were “effective” and went ahead as planned.

Across England and Wales, just 48 per cent of the 21,805 trials listed last year were effective - the lowest proportion in a decade.

The Law Society said the record-high proportion of ineffective trials across the country will cause “unacceptable” delays for victims, leave potentially innocent defendants in limbo, and claimed government underfunding was a key cause.

Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society, said the coronavirus pandemic is one factor, but lack of capacity in the system is another.

She said: "Decades of underfunding and cuts mean there simply aren’t enough judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers left to cover the huge backlog of cases.

“Defence lawyers will continue to leave the profession in their droves, and we will no longer have a criminal justice system worthy of the name, unless the Government changes tack urgently.”

She said swift investment is needed across the criminal justice system to get it back on its feet.

The rate of ineffective trials varied significantly across England and Wales – from just nine per cent in Salisbury, to 39 per cent in Isleworth, west London.

Jeffrey DeMarco, assistant director at Victim Support, said this suggests victims are facing a "postcode lottery" that needs urgently addressing.

He added: "We are seriously concerned that effective trials in England and Wales have reached these lows.

"These statistics, alongside long waits for trial and poor prosecution rates for some crimes, show that the justice system has serious room for improvement."

Of the 140 ineffective trials at Lewes Crown Court last year, 43 involved alleged violent offences – the most common type.

This was followed by drug offences (30) and sexual offences (27).

The Ministry of Justice said almost half a billion investment in court recovery shows it is doing everything it can to deliver swifter access to justice.

A spokeswoman added: “While the unprecedented impact of the pandemic has led to large numbers of court staff and counsel falling ill or being forced to self-isolate, our decisive action has kept justice moving."