Johnny Depp’s defamation trial has been described as “irritating” by lawyers at a time when the criminal justice system is struggling with a massive backlog of cases, and deeply sensitive cases are being handled remotely.
An attorney questioned why Depp’s case had been allowed in person at the High Court in London when he had to deal by phone or Skype with the procedures of a child at risk of being removed from his parents.
Another said that victims of domestic abuse would be “upset” by the long-standing high-profile trial of the Hollywood actor as they waited more than a year for their case to be heard.
Depp, 57, is suing News Group Newspapers over an article in the Sun what he called a “handcuff puncher”. The actor denies that he beat his ex-wife Amber Heard, 34, who has provided details of 14 occasions during their relationship when she claims he assaulted her.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Bar Association said the ongoing trial, which began nearly three weeks ago, highlighted the fact that hundreds of thousands of court cases were being delayed.
The backlog of cases waiting to be heard in England and Wales has skyrocketed to more than half a million during the coronavirus pandemic, raising fears that victims may abandon delayed prosecutions.
James Rossiter, spokesman for the CBA, which has some 3,000 members in England and Wales, said: “The trial certainly pales in insignificance compared to the number of vulnerable witnesses waiting; many of those trials are now scheduled for 2021, 2022. The irony is not lost in these common families without resorting to money. “
Hannah Gomersall, a lawyer for Coram Chambers who specializes in child and family law, said the timing of Depp’s trial made her feel uncomfortable.
“The judicial service has managed to find it [Depp] a direct in-person hearing in Superior Court over a significant period of time when many other cases, including the removal of children, are conducted by phone and Skype, “said Gomersall.
He added: “It is the juxtaposition of having clients in extreme distress who have to manage life-changing events remotely when they don’t even have access to technology. It’s pretty horrible
“Of course it is [Depp] He’s entitled to his day in court, like everyone else, but it’s a little irritating. I can’t imagine how a parent in one of our cases who has been asked to do justice over the phone must feel and then turn on the news and see that the case has been given priority in person. ”
The number of urgent care procedures in family courts reportedly increased sharply during confinement, as vulnerable children were exposed to increased risk from violent family members.
Gomersall handled four cases a week, all by phone or video software, during the pandemic with the first “in-person” hearing for months last week alone. “Probably the most extreme hearings handled remotely are those in which the court is making a decision on whether they should immediately remove a child from their family,” she said.
Cassie Williams, an attorney at Sheffield-based Bank House Chambers, said the backlog of unjudged cases in the criminal justice system, which the inspection monitoring the Crown Prosecution Service recently said, could take a decade to clearing, there was also a risk that witnesses would drop cases. .
For domestic abuse cases, he added, the delay meant that the victims were forced to relive the trauma long after the violence and risked giving the author time to claim that they had repaired their customs.
The timing of Depp’s trial, he said, highlighted concerns.
“If I was a victim of domestic violence, I would be upset because they are listening during Covid and they have all the time in the world to discuss the launch, but everyday victims don’t have that opportunity.” Williams said. The government recently announced 10 emergency “nightingale courts” for socially distanced trials to address the backlog, but critics say the measures aren’t close enough, with the CBA arguing for another 50 more.
