Calamity Lammy's justice ministry spent £3.6 million on faulty video system

Ministry of Justice Losses and Faulty System

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has disclosed in its latest accounts that the department and its agencies reported total losses amounting to £71 million. Among the most striking entries is the £3.6 million spent on a video link system that failed to function properly.

Faulty Video Link Project

The system was intended to enable remote video connections for court hearings and prison visits but ended up being unusable. Despite extensive investment, technical malfunctions and compatibility problems rendered the project ineffective. The department eventually wrote off the expenditure when it became clear that the software could not be salvaged for operational use.

Broader Financial Issues

Beyond the failed video link project, the accounts also highlight several technology and procurement losses within the ministry. These include contract terminations, software redundancies, and infrastructure projects that did not deliver expected outcomes. The total sum reflects a broader pattern of costly inefficiencies across multiple MoJ programs over the past fiscal year.

Public and Political Response

The report’s revelation attracted criticism, particularly as the ministry is under the oversight of David Lammy, who assumed a key leadership role amid promises to improve transparency and fiscal discipline. Opposition figures and watchdogs called for stronger accountability and audit controls to prevent similar waste in the future.

“Public money must be spent with care and competence — repeated technological failures erode trust and financial stability,” said a parliamentary source familiar with the accounts.

Accountability Measures

According to ministry officials, ongoing reviews are being conducted to identify management failures, assess oversight gaps, and implement stricter project evaluation criteria. Future IT and infrastructure programs are expected to undergo more rigorous testing before public rollout, in an attempt to restore confidence in the department’s operations.

Author’s summary: The Ministry of Justice lost £71 million overall, including £3.6 million wasted on a failed video system, sparking calls for stronger fiscal oversight and accountability reforms.

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