Protecting witnesses - Intimidation a real threat

IT takes courage to be a courtroom witness or juror, especially if the trial involves terrorism or violent crime.

It is not overstating the case to say that a person, in either role, can put their safety in jeopardy. Yet our justice system depends on people having that courage, that willingness to stand up and be counted even at considerable risk to themselves.

That fundamental principle is challenged by very worrying figures on witness or juror intimidation.

Government figures show that prosecutions for intimidation of witnesses or and jurors have nearly doubled in three years. In 2008 there were 18 cases, last year there were 41. This is a very worrying trend.

We are aware of cases collapsing when witnesses, to use Hillary Clinton’s wonderful phrase, misremember.

It is easy to be critical of these people but a far better solution might be to make the penalties for these crimes so convincing that the risk just becomes too great.