Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has demanded the release of transcripts from grooming gang trials, following the rejection of a request made to a judge in Bradford.
Jenrick's calls to Labour follow the decision by the judge to reject the release of transcripts from a key grooming gang trial, arguing that it would be "contrary to the public interest".
In a letter to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Jenrick claimed that a "fragmented and unpredictable" approach to releasing transcripts could have an effect on open justice.
Speaking to GB News, Jenrick declared that it is "completely wrong" for the judges to reject such requests, and adds "further insult to injury" for the victims and survivors of the gangs.
Robert Jenrick has called for the release of grooming gang trial transcripts, suggesting a 'cover-up' by UK judges
GB News / PA
Jenrick fumed: "It is deeply concerning that the public can't access historic rape gang trial transcripts. These aren't just legal documents, they're historical documents that tell the story in detail of some of the worst crimes in our recent history - how they were committed, how they were covered up and enabled and then finally exposed and brought to justice.
"And the fact that some judges are choosing to deny organisations the right to put them in the public domain, despite the fact that these were trials that were heard in public anyway, this was all on the public record."
Suggesting that there is a potential "cover-up" among UK judges in not releasing the transcripts, Jenrick questioned what "possible rationale" they could have for keeping the documents private.
Jenrick explained: "It's incredibly important that the full details of these trials get into the public domain so people can understand what's happened, and the public and victims can get the transparency that they crave.
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Jenrick has called for Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to 'intervene'
PA"And because some of these are being almost covered up by judges, the victims and the public are right to ask, in whose interests are they serving? What possible rationale is there for doing this? It just adds further insult to injury to the victims of these terrible crimes."
Citing his open letter to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Jenrick told GB News that although it is "generally left to the individual judges to make their decisions", he hopes Mahmood will "intervene" and end the "unfairness" this causes for the victims and survivors.
Jenrick said: "What we're seeing is there's almost a postcode lottery, where some judges are saying that the transcript should be released and some are not, and they're applying the law in an uneven way in different parts of the country, which just once again creates a sense of unfairness in this most terrible situation of the grooming gang scandal.
"And so what I'm asking for is the Justice Secretary to intervene, maybe with the Lady Chief Justice, as well as the most senior judge in the country - release these transcripts so they can finally be in the public domain."
Jenrick told GB News that it is 'completely wrong' for the transcripts to be withheld
GB News
He added: "And then can we have the disinfectant that comes through with openness and transparency. I think that Shabana Mahmood should do this, and I've written to her asking her to do it."
A spokesman for the judiciary said last week: "Transcripts of court hearings can be provided following approval by a judge. Requests are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and are subject to judicial discretion."
A Ministry of Justice spokesman told GB News: "We will continue to drive forward reforms to protect more children from abhorrent abuse and support more adult survivors of these traumatic crimes.
"The release of court transcripts to interested parties is a matter for the relevant independent judge to consider."
