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| Courts face £90m budget shortfall | Courts face £90m budget shortfall |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Trials could be delayed because the court service in England and Wales is facing a £90m budget shortfall over the next three years, a senior judge warns. | |
| A letter from Senior Presiding Judge Lord Justice Leveson warns judges and magistrates to expect pay cuts, redundancies and cancelled sittings. | |
| The shortfall has been caused by a drop in the income from family court fees. | The shortfall has been caused by a drop in the income from family court fees. |
| The Conservatives, who obtained the letter, said it was a financial "black hole" of the government's own making. | The Conservatives, who obtained the letter, said it was a financial "black hole" of the government's own making. |
| Lord Justice Leveson's letter says, on top of existing efficiencies, the court service must find £27m savings this financial year, and a further £63m by April 2011. | Lord Justice Leveson's letter says, on top of existing efficiencies, the court service must find £27m savings this financial year, and a further £63m by April 2011. |
| Ministers ignored warnings from judges, magistrates and local authorities and now they do not have the money to address the shortfall Shadow Justice Minister Henry Bellingham | Ministers ignored warnings from judges, magistrates and local authorities and now they do not have the money to address the shortfall Shadow Justice Minister Henry Bellingham |
| The main reason for the shortfall is that courts now expect to receive less income from fees for civil and family hearings than they anticipated. | The main reason for the shortfall is that courts now expect to receive less income from fees for civil and family hearings than they anticipated. |
| In the search for savings, Lord Justice Leveson says all options are being considered, including redundancies in courts service staff. | In the search for savings, Lord Justice Leveson says all options are being considered, including redundancies in courts service staff. |
| The Conservatives said the government had ignored warnings from local authorities that they could not afford an increase in the court fees for care proceedings. | The Conservatives said the government had ignored warnings from local authorities that they could not afford an increase in the court fees for care proceedings. |
| 'Black hole' | 'Black hole' |
| Shadow justice minister, Henry Bellingham said: "Once again, this government's incompetence has led to a crisis in the justice system. If court sittings are cancelled and trials delayed, the public will be put at risk and justice undermined. | Shadow justice minister, Henry Bellingham said: "Once again, this government's incompetence has led to a crisis in the justice system. If court sittings are cancelled and trials delayed, the public will be put at risk and justice undermined. |
| "Ministers ignored warnings from judges, magistrates and local authorities and now they do not have the money to address the shortfall. This is a black hole of their own making" | "Ministers ignored warnings from judges, magistrates and local authorities and now they do not have the money to address the shortfall. This is a black hole of their own making" |
| Ministers have promised victims and witnesses will not be affected by any savings that were made. | Ministers have promised victims and witnesses will not be affected by any savings that were made. |