The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced on Friday in an X (formerly Twitter) post that it charged 159 people following public disorder in the country. This comes after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that individuals involved in the public disorder may be rapidly processed through law courts.
The CPS announcement said that it is continuing to “work around the clock, along with the police, to charge people as quickly as possible and ensure justice is served”. On Tuesday, justice minister Heidi Alexander announced that the UK government is expediting the process of adding 500 more prison places to accommodate individuals involved in the violent protests.
Lord Chancellor and justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said:
The rapid action across the justice system by police, prosecutors and those working in courts has led to 118 of those individuals being remanded into custody in a collective effort to keep communities safe and free from further violence … The mindless minority who caused and took part in the disgraceful scenes we witnessed were warned they would soon feel the full force of the law.
The National Police Chief’s Council announced on Thursday that a total of 483 arrests were made.
UK law associations expressed concern Monday over the suggestion that 24-hour “night courts” should be established to deal with the mass riots throughout the UK, emphasizing that solicitors are already overworked and underpaid. The Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales said on Monday, that it remains “strongly opposed to any attempt to extend court operating hours. The Criminal Bar is already working at maximum capacity.”
The plan to extend court hours followed violent riots taking place in multiple cities over the past week, with rioters targeting minority populations in the UK including the Islamic community, refugees and asylum seekers and ethnic minorities.
The riots were sparked by the July 29 Southport Stabbings where a 17-year-old boy killed three children and injured five others. Online rumors circulated that the perpetrator was an Islamic terrorist and a refugee, inciting riots to break out. The violent riots have continued to spread throughout various UK cities and towns.
