It’s well-documented that our courts system is in crisis but following an investigation, The Standard can reveal that magistrates are sitting in secret to allow utility companies to break into people’s homes, granting warrants based on applications they have never seen.
Back in late 2022, energy firms and courts were rocked by scandal when it was revealed that hundreds of thousands of warrants – including for the homes of some of Britain’s poorest people – were being “waved through” by magistrates.
The government promised a clean-up and new court process, but a year-long probe by The Standard has uncovered disturbing practices - and the Chief Magistrate is investigating the concerns.
The Standard’s Courts Correspondent Tristan Kirk is here with the latest.