British judges and magistrates could be the victims of a £70 million shortfall in the HM Court Service's budget.
A new cost structure paying for child protection proceedings which came into force in May has caused increases in the fees local authority social services have to pay by as much as 2,500%.
According to the Conservative Party, authorities are now struggling to pay these crippling costs. It says there has been slowdown of child protection cases going to court, while Her Majesty's Courts Services (HMCS) says it is now considering saving money by cutting judges' salary costs or introducing potential redundancies.
Shadow justice minister Henry Bellingham, said: "Once again this government's incompetence has led to a crisis in the justice system. If courts sittings are cancelled and trials delayed, the public will be put at risk and justice undermined."
He added: "Ministers ignored warnings from judges, magistrates and local authorities and now they do not have the money to address the shortfall. This is a black hold of their own making."
However, justice minister Lord Hunt rebuffed the accusation. He said: "There is not a black hole in Her Majesty's Courts Service budget. There will be no impact from efficiency savings on the service provided to victims and witnesses or to the effective delivery of justice.
"As with any other Government department or agency there is a duty to ensure taxpayers' money is spent efficiently, and Her Majesty's Courts Service is committed to ensuring this happens."
