Police professional | The Crime and Justice Commission was established to address the most pressing issues facing the police and criminal justice system

The Crime and Justice Commission was established to address the most pressing issues facing the police and criminal justice system

The Time has established a Crime and Justice Commission, which aims to develop new solutions to the most pressing problems facing police, prisons, courts and victims of crime.

The Commission will spend a year preparing recommendations to tackle challenges in areas such as knife crime, gangs and acquisitive crime; cybercrime, fraud and online harm; policing, including police culture; violence against women and girls; terrorism; backlogs at the court and problems with legal aid. The final report is expected to be released in April 2025.

Eighteen experts, including former police chiefs, business leaders, lawyers and academics, have been asked to join the Commission.

These include Lord Burnett of Maldon (former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales); Sir Max Hill (former Director of Public Prosecutions); Nick Hardwick (former Chief Inspector of Prisons and former head of the Parole Board); Baroness Manningham-Buller (former head of MI5); Claire Waxman (Independent Victims Commissioner for London); Sir Tom Winsor (former Chief Inspector of Police); Peter Clarke, former head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan Police Service and former Chief Inspector of Prisons; and Dame Sara Thornton, former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and former Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Sandra Paul, criminal litigation partner at Kingsley Napley, is the only practicing lawyer on the panel. She is particularly respected for her expertise in criminal defense in the areas of sexual offenses and juvenile delinquency, and is co-author of Defending suspects at police stationsthe textbook for criminal lawyers.

The Commission is chaired by Time columnist Rachel Sylvester and will hold biweekly evidence sessions with witnesses including police officers, victims, judges, lawyers, prison staff, scientists, business leaders and academics.

Ms Paul commented: “I am honored and delighted to have been invited to join the Commission in such distinguished company. More importantly, I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the task we have been given: to devise a range of pragmatic and practical solutions to some of the persistent problems facing the criminal justice system today.

“There are many, but if we can help bring new ideas to the table or give credibility to policy ideas that are in development, then this is a prominent platform to promote and advocate for change.”

Last Time Committees have had a real impact: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has accepted the Education Committee’s recommendation for exam reform, and Keir Starmer has pledged to introduce the digital health bill proposed by the Health Committee.

The Crime and Justice Commission will be evidence-based and non-ideological and has been tasked with formulating recommendations that could be adopted by any political party.