A RETIRING judge used his farewell speech to criticise police and prosecutors in Essex.

Judge Christopher Ball QC stepped down from the bench at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Before he left he claimed some at the Crown Prosecution Service make “daft” decisions and “don’t have sufficient brain cells to understand all the dynamics of the criminal trial”.

And he claimed police have disengaged from the trial process during recent years, other than during high profile cases.

Judge Ball, who has sat for 15 years at the court, claimed the financial pressures and cuts were impacting on justice.

He claimed “unacceptable pleas” are being accepted, such as burglars admitting the lesser charge of handling stolen goods and this being allowed rather than going to trial.

And he claimed some officers and advocates fail to understand court proceedings which is something he regrets.

Essex Police declined to comment claiming he didn’t specifically name the force during criticism, despite the fact he worked in an Essex court on Essex cases.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “CPS staff are hard-working, professional and committed to delivering justice in the communities they serve.”