WHEN Hamlet lists the unacceptable travails and tribulations of life in his famous soliloquy beginning 'To be or not to be', 'the law's delay' features prominently among the many 'whips and scorns of time' for it is a truism to say that the wheels of justice grind extremely slowly.

Lawyers themselves have a saying: 'justice delayed is justice denied' - so what are we to make of the case of Rachel Scantlebury, who died in an Ilkley road accident 15 months ago? Although it would be dangerous to speculate about a case currently going through the judicial system, as a risk of prejudice is involved, the Gazette feels it is important to make a series of general points about the way the legal system treats the people caught up in its machinations.

Those running our highly expensive legal system from the politicians down through judges, barristers, solicitors, clerks and even secretaries, have contributed to the deterioration over the last 15 or 20 years from snail's pace to farce without once feeling the need for an apology. It is just simply unacceptable for any court case to be dragged out for years after the event.

This is unfair on the defendant, the victim (if there is a direct victim) and the families caught up in the traumatic events. But today it seems the courts cannot process anything within an acceptable time limit. The courts have become a law unto themselves.

The magistrates let it happen and the judges let it happen, with only the occasional whimper of dissatisfaction. Even when cases do get to court they are often repeatedly adjourned because this bit of paper did not get to one side or the other in time, or that report needs three weeks to be read, or the defendant did not turn up for his 75th interview with.

The whole legal system has become an absolute disgrace and almost a parody of a Kafka-esque bureaucratic nightmare.