§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Attorney-General why he will not seek powers to arrange for the courts to sit regularly on Saturdays and Sundays, in view of the long waiting list of cases to be heard.
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo such powers are necessary. Regular sittings 499W on Saturdays and Sundays are not thought desirable in the interests of justice or reasonable in the light of the demands they would make on the judiciary, the court staff, jurors, witnesses, and members of the legal profession. There are no general arrears of cases outside London and, outside the Crown Court, delays in hearing are not unreasonable. In the Crown Court, my noble Friend considers that the remedy lies in increased availability of court accommodation and not in regular weekend sittings.