Four individuals charged with murder are to be released on bail after a judge declined to extend the time they could be held in custody pending trial. The decision, made by Judge Ian Pringle, the recorder of Oxford, comes as the trial for the fatal stabbing of 40-year-old Keith Green in February could not proceed due to an ongoing strike by criminal barristers over legal aid fees.
The custody time limit for the accused was set to expire at midnight on Thursday. Judge Pringle refused to grant an extension, marking the first time a judge has refused to extend custody limits in a murder case affected by the strike. In his written reasons, the judge criticised the government for failing to implement reforms to legal aid funding, despite recommendations from an independent review and pressure from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA).
“In my view, the current situation in the criminal courts in this country has been coming for a very considerable period of time,” Judge Pringle stated. He emphasised that he was not judging the merits of the dispute but noted the need to examine how the problem arose. Similar refusals to extend custody time limits have occurred in courts in Leicester, Bolton, Manchester, and Isleworth, raising concerns about potentially dangerous individuals being released.
The Criminal Bar Association is striking over legal aid fees, which it argues make criminal law work untenable and drive advocates away from the specialism. Judge Pringle’s decision follows other cases where judges in Bristol and Oxford have refused extensions, with one judge citing “chronic underfunding” for delays.
