Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, commenting on today’s collapsed fraud trial, said:

“This is an astonishing indictment of David Cameron’s policies. Time and again, Ministers have been warned their changes to legal aid could lead to miscarriages of justice and trials collapsing. Today, these warnings have come true.

“Because of Chris Grayling’s legal aid changes, a judge has been forced to abandon a serious fraud trial because he couldn’t guarantee the defendants a fair trial. Thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money have been wasted on this aborted trial, and this decision shows judges also have lost confidence in the Justice Secretary. Chris Grayling needs to urgently provide answers on how they plan to prevent a meltdown in the justice system caused by their policies.”