"Totally broken": Top solicitor gives shocking verdict on criminal justice system

A top solicitor advocate has said that the criminal justice system is "totally broken" following calls for an inquiry into how the system is struggling to manage cases.

Responding to the report by the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, Imogen Cox said: "I think to a degree they are right, because the root of the problem is that the criminal justice justice system isn't near to breaking point - it's broken. It's as simple as that."

The study suggests the decline in convictions in England and Wales is partly due to a lack of resources.

LBC's Iain Dale suggested that the Crown Prosecution Service were keen to "blame anybody but themselves" for the issues, but Ms Cox said it she agreed with the report.

"I wish we would just put some money into the criminal justice system, which we just haven't been doing. Nothing works if you don't invest in its future."

The report highlights serious issues with the criminal justice system. Picture: PA Images

The report highlights a specific drop in rape convictions of up 25%.

She said: "I think the specific issue with the rape convictions, you have to go back to what was revealed in November of this year where it was revealed that there was a secret target given to the Crown Prosecution Service, which is 60% of such cases, then conviction.

"Now, if we started to operate the criminal justice system on statistics that's never going to work. It has to be operated on justice and not statistics. And that's the problem I think that we face nowadays."