DRUG CASE FAILED 'FOR WANT OF A JUDGE'

Drugs In Britain: Special Report

Police and politicians have raised concerns about a lack of judges in
Scotland after a case against an alleged drug smuggler collapsed because it
could not be processed in time.

William Varey, 50, was arrested on July 2 last year and accused of being
involved in a UKP50,000 cannabis ring. The deadline to try him expired at
the weekend and the charges were dropped because a judge could not be found.

"It is very disappointing," said Superintendent Fred McManus, president of
the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents. "This type of scenario
raises grave concerns about resourcing in the court system." The Scottish
executive, however, has denied that there was a shortage of judges.

The Scottish National Party will raise the issue in the Scottish parliament
this week. "There must be an inquiry to establish exactly why a judge
couldn't be found," said shadow justice minister Roseanna Cunningham. "It
suggests a justice system which is creaking at the seams, which is why there
has to be a long hard look at what happened in this case. If the underlying
problem is a lack of resources, then it raises serious questions about the
UKP48m underspend in the justice budget revealed last week."