Lord Chief Justice, Judges, Justices - Ladies and Gentlemen - thank you very much for joining me here today. It's a pleasure to be here today to launch the first pilot study of a dedicated drug court.
This is an important new initiative.
Important for the justice system, as we look to this drug court in West London, and the court in Leeds which has been running for a few years already, to be innovative and provide new solutions and innovations to the problems we face.
Important for substance misusers who need help to break the cycle of misuse and offending.
And important, perhaps above all, to the local people in this area who have been on the receiving end of drug-related crime.
A heavily addicted offender can spend between 300 and 400 pounds per week on drugs. Over the course of a year that's between 16 and 21 thousand pounds - so it's clear to see how substance addiction can become a cause of criminal behaviour.
In fact, during the 2002 study, over two-thirds of the highest rate offenders reported using cocaine and heroin. The same group were responsible for over half of all reported offences.
These statistics demonstrate, if any further demonstration was needed, the clear link between crime and drug abuse - and the cost to society.
The justice system needs to be able to deal with these problems in new ways. What this pilot offers is an opportunity not just for punishment but also to give consideration to rehabilitating an offender back into society.
Many offenders are on a well-trodden path. The boundaries, the signs along the way, the forks in the road are all on a repetitive, predictable course. Drug use. Offending. Prison. And back again.
This is where the drug court can make a difference. It creates a new path for offenders that combines punishment with treatment.
This is in the interests of the offender and in the interests of the community: tackling the problem of drug-fuelled crime in a way that is lasting and in a way that prevents further offending.
Our reason for running this pilot is quite clear. We know from other courts that this approach can cut crime. It can cut drug misuse. It can increase community safety.
This is why I wanted to be here today to launch the court in West London. And I also want to mention the work of the court in Leeds, which is already operating along similar lines. These are two exciting developments for the justice system - both are right at the forefront of criminal justice reform.
From today we will begin to build a picture of how drug courts make a difference but also more importantly why these courts make a difference.
We need to know what is it about the drug court that makes it work? How can we make what works here in West London or in Leeds work elsewhere?
In running this pilot study we can look at each aspect of the drug court and will be able to answer those questions much more firmly than we can now.
But there is one lesson we have learnt already. It is a lesson I am sure everyone involved will recognise. And that is, in order to get a project like this off the ground, you need people who are willing to do a little bit more than just their fair share of hard work, dedication and commitment.
The judiciary, court staff, the police and other agencies have done a fantastic job individually, but have managed to achieve so much more by working together.
There have, along the way, been hurdles. Some, no doubt, have been cleared effortlessly. Others, I am sure, have been ploughed through, rather than leapt over.
By working together, committing ourselves to each other's shared interests and of the needs of our local communities, we have together reached what may feel like 'the end' of the journey in setting up this dedicated drug court here.
But as we are all more than aware, this is not the end - it is a new beginning. We must continue to work just as hard to sustain what we have achieved so far.
The dedication shown by the agencies involved in establishing the court will, I am sure, now be reflected in the dedication of those involved in operating the drug court on a daily basis - the magistrates, district judges, court staff, legal advisers, Crown Prosecution Service, probation service, police, prison service, drug workers and defence solicitors.
All play a part not just in the operation of the court and the delivery of justice - an exceptionally important task - but also the rehabilitation of the offender.
This court offers offenders a chance to lead drug-free lives: a chance to repair what is broken. It helps them to begin picking up the pieces of their lives and to regain their sense of self-worth and their sense of living in a community.
Though we utterly condemn the crimes committed by offenders who are drug addicts, we must acknowledge that rehabilitation from a serious drug habit will often be one of the most difficult experiences that an individual can go through.
But if we can be there to congratulate successes - be a hand to steady them if they slip or if they fall, be the reprimand to bring them to their senses - then it is our duty to do so. It is a duty we owe to local, law-abiding people who hope, expect and demand that we do all we can to reduce this kind of crime.
All of you in this room are here today, doing the jobs you do, because you want to make a huge contribution. You wish to stand up for your communities and improve the lives of the most vulnerable.
I wish you here in London, and all the people in Leeds, every success.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.