The last comparable period of civil disorder in this country happened in 2011. Then as now, the courts acted with speed and severity to try to quell five days of rioting in multiple locations, which traumatised the nation, caused hundreds of millions in damage and injured more than three hundred officers. The head of the Crown Prosecution Service at the time was one Keir Starmer. Now, as prime minister, he seeks again to confront the horrific street violence with the same apparent energy and determination. But can a punitive response work to stop violence that has at times threatened to overwhelm the police? Times have changed, and our criminal justice system is in tatters.
Sending a large number of new offenders into a system in meltdown, even if spaces can be found, looks fraught with risk
Back in 2011, courts worked overtime and overnight to arrest and process offenders. Curiously, the Home Secretary has admitted this morning that this has not yet happened.
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