‘Overwhelmed’ justice system failing victims of crime, CPS chief says

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( January 02, 2023 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [‘Overwhelmed’ justice system failing victims of crime, CPS chief warns]( The criminal justice system is “overloaded”, with a shortage of barristers worsening lengthy delays that damage both victims and defendants, the director of public prosecutions has warned. Max Hill KC, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said officials have resorted to “ringing around” independent barristers trying to find someone to represent them for some court hearings. He warned that some victims were dropping out of cases because they are “unable to stay with a process that takes months or years”, after the waiting time for trials rocketed. It now takes more than a year on average between a crime being committed and the end of crown court proceedings, while for rape the figure is a record two-and-a-half years.   2 / [Two-thirds of Britons now support future Brexit referendum]( Exclusive: Results suggest Leave voters disillusioned with the ‘taking back of control they were promised’ 3 / [Avengers star Jeremy Renner in ‘critical but stable’ condition after accident]( Actor was airlifted to hospital after experiencing a weather-related accident 4 / [‘Neglected’ patients resorting to DIY medicine due to lack of GP appointments]( Survey finds more than a quarter of adults unable to see a local GP face-to-face 5 / [Lula vows to rescue ‘ruined’ Brazil from Bolsonaro era of ‘error’ as he’s sworn in as president]( Security at the inauguration ceremony was high due to fears of disruption from Bolsonaro supporters     The Big Question How can you make new year resolutions work? Making a [new year](’s resolution is like pushing the pedestrian button at a busy crossing: basically pointless, but you do it anyway. Every year, we go through the same rigmarole. For some people, resolutions work. For most people, they spark a vicious cycle. You make a promise to yourself. You swiftly break it. You feel really bad about it. No thank you! Resolution-haters may be placated by the fact that they’ve been falling out of fashion in recent years anyway, writes Kate Ng. Last year, a survey of more than 2,000 British adults found that only one in four planned to make resolutions come 1 January. Most people will have already begun to give up on their resolutions by the middle of January anyway, according to research by Strava. But don’t fret if you’re still attracted to the “idea” of setting goals for yourself in the new year – experts say there are still ways we can make resolutions work for us. Perhaps it’s just that resolutions are overdue a rebrand. You could say that “manifesting” has begun to replace making resolutions in the new year. The pseudoscience behind manifestation suggests that the power of thought alone can be enough to make your desires a reality. While the practice isn’t new, it’s seen a major boom in popularity over the last year thanks to viral videos on TikTok, with the hashtag #manifesting drawing 4.3 billion views on the platform alone. There have been more than 529 million views for the hashtag #manifestingtips, too. [For the full story click here >](   Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our [welcome offer when you join today](. Watch/ [Vatican begins preparations for Pope Benedict XVI's funeral](   NUMBER OF THE DAY 200 – The West Coast main line between Glasgow and Carlisle was suspended on Friday near Carstairs. [Network Rail]( said it will require extensive work to stabilise and repair the foundations of the tracks to allow the railway to reopen safely. A 40-metre section of the line has been affected by the landslip. Engineers are removing mud from the site and will then reinforce the area with over 200 tonnes of new stone.   QUOTE OF THE DAY “I don’t think there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman, although I don’t recommend doing it in the same way that you’d hit a man.” – A video of [Barbara Walters]( interviewing [Sean Connery]( has gone viral in the wake of her death. In the clip, which has been viewed 5.1 million times at the time of writing, Walters questioned the actor over a Playboy interview in which he said he does not think there is “anything wrong with hitting a woman”.     Other stories you might like   [Third of adults would find it ‘difficult or impossible’ to find extra £20](   [Swimmers warned to avoid Kent coast after sewage spills following heavy rain](   [Pope Francis prays for Benedict XVI at new year mass as Vatican prepares to mourn former pontiff](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers Bel Trew - [In 2023, Ukraine may suffer the same fate as Gaza and Syria](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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