Justice moves extremely slowly in Sussex for thousands of people who find themselves accused of crimes.

It can be months, or even more than a year, from the time people are arrested until the day they appear in court.

It's unfair on everyone involved from police to probation officers.

But most of all it's wrong when people are remanded in custody on charges and are eventually acquitted.

It means the accused have spent months in jail for offences juries decide they have never committed.

Now a fast-track scheme, introduced last month, is cutting some of the bureaucracy involved in court hearings.

The most radical change is abolishing committal proceedings in magistrates' courts for many of the most serious offences so they can be dealt with at crown courts sooner.

Defendants can also make their pleas known earlier and if they are admitting charges, this can save huge amounts of time and work for courts and the police.

The essence of the British judicial system, which is that all defendants are entitled to a fair trial and are innocent until proven guilty, is preserved under this scheme.

If anything, justice will be improved, for it's easier for witnesses to remember what happened soon after an alleged offence rather than when it has receded into the mists of time.